Koi no Yokan
by Jaesune
Summary: Sakura is the princess of the Haruno clan and her parents agreed for her to marry the Shogun's son, Naruto Uzumaki. Her life is destroyed when an old enemy, Orochimaru, takes the Haruno clans land and castle and Sakura is forced to avenge her family. NaruSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

 **Notes** : Hello! I used to be TheGreatestLin but I changed my account, starting fresh because I'm terrible at remembering complicated things in which I totally forgot how to access my old account. The reason why I'm telling you all this was because this story is practically a remake of Komorebi, a samurai-era love story between Naruto and Sakura. So, if you note the same picture and similarities now you know. Anyway, there will be drastic changes since I'm changing the plot but I might add some familiar things of Komorebi in this story. So, I hope you all like this one like many of you liked Komorebi.

This story is NaruSaku with one-sided SasuSaku and NaruHina.

 _P.S._ I also want to add that Hinata is in the story and will be playing a love-interest. I'm speaking of her now because I want everyone to know that if she seems a bit OOC it is because I am not making her based on 90% of PT. 2 canon Hinata, I don't like that Hinata. This Hinata is different and very much is involved with her clan and takes initiative and is more stronger than having romance on the brain. She is more than just a love interest in this story, she is a strong princess. I'm adding this now, even if she is not in this chapter to clarify this because I do care about Hinata and I am not in no way going to degrade or bash her because I do not do that to any character. As an author, I love each and every person within this story and want to make them the best ( or the worse because baddies are inevitable ) character they can be. So, lemme stop my rambling.

Also, Koi no Yokan in English is Premonition of Love. What does it mean? It means the sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall into love. This is different than "love at first sight," since it implies that you might have a sense of imminent love, somewhere down the road, without yet feeling it.

Lastly, if you seen this * next to a word. I'll be having a list of meanings at the bottom so you're not confused.

R&R!

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

Downfall of the Haruno

* * *

It was the twenty-eighth day of March. Everyone was celebrating the welcoming, beautiful season of Spring. Cherry blossoms had bloomed all across the country, spreading their beauty; coloring the world in every sense of nostalgia and grace while reminding everyone that Cherry blossoms were the symbol of human life. Though the Haruno clan had celebrate spring's arrival like everyone else, they were also celebrating the day that their princess was now sixteen. Yes, today was the day Sakura was now a fully bloomed flower.

"Happy Birthday, Sakura-hime."

It was all she heard throughout the day as she walked down the halls in a slow yet elegant stride. Her head lowered in a nod of gratitude, giving smiles as everyone in the castle was celebrating the sixteenth year since her birth. Behind her were her ladies-in-waiting, carrying some of her kimono that was too long and would've otherwise dragged on the wooden floor. Even when Sakura demanded independence, they did as they wished and Sakura couldn't help but feel somewhat enamored with the fact that they liked to dote on her.

Her pink hair, that matched the cherry blossoms that had greeted them this season, was tied into a high ponytail as her bangs were neatly combed and stopped at her thin brows. Sakura always hated how long she let her hair become, but she had kept it like this in hopes to gain a certain boy's attention. She had heard that he liked girls with long hair and so she grew hers out. It felt like it was for naught since she hadn't seen him since she was but a small child. Sakura was the determined type however, he would notice soon enough or so she hoped.

Scurrying down the hall was a familiar face, a face that made Sakura smile. The obsidian hair had waved like a banner as she ran, reaching down her back and to her waist. It was usually kept in a low ponytail due to how troublesome it was during battle, but since they were in the castle and were relatively safe, she could see why the girl kept it unbound.

"Sakura-hime," The girl spoke up, her lilac eyes meeting the princess' emerald ones. Sakura had stopped walking, giving the girl her full attention.

"What's wrong, Kirita? Is something bothering you?" Sakura questioned, her brow rose in curiosity as there was a hint of worry in her pupils.

"Ah,, no." Immediately the female warrior shook her head to further prove her words, "I wanted to tell you that your father requested that you see him in the meeting room. He has something important to tell you."

"And my mother?" Sakura asked.

"She will also be there. They are both waiting for you." Kirita quickly answered, watching the princess look away in thought before looking back at her. "I assure you that there's nothing for you to be concerned about, Sakura-hime."

"I told you to stop calling me that when it's just us." The girl jumped slightly, a bit startled by the annoyance in the princess' voice. "We're friends. You can just call me Sakura, y'know."

"I…" Kirita sheepishly looked down at her feet, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she fiddled with her thumbs rather awkwardly. "I forget…"

With a smile, Sakura grabbed the dark-haired girl's hand and forced her to walk alongside her to the meeting room where her parents were waiting. Kirita rather awkwardly walked alongside her, her hands looking at Sakura's hand with a small smile. Sakura had always been so kind to her ever since they first met. She was never sure how to repay the princess for it. It was why she served the girl so diligently, willing to give her life up to make sure the Haruno heir continued to smile.

The guards had opened the doors upon the sight of them and both of them had entered the meeting room without Sakura's servants behind her. "Sakura," Mebuki, Sakura's mother, had said in delight as she quickly made her over to her daughter. Sakura had let go of Kirita's hand once she was greeted with the warmth of her mother's embrace. "I can't believe you're sixteen now. Not too long ago, you were just born and so small... "

"Haha-ue*, please." Sakura mumbled, feeling bashful of her mother's affectionate actions.

Just then, she heard her father's rumbling laughter not too far away as he came over with a rather confident stride. "Remember we couldn't get her quiet for days? She cried and cried all because we wouldn't let her feed the koi fish?" Kizashi teased, making his daughter puff her cheeks and look away with a red face.

Kirita smiled upon the display of the loving family, watching them before slowly making her way towards the door to guard it. This was not her place to step in and she was sure that Lord Kizashi had brought his daughter in for a serious matter that did not involve her.

"So, why did you call me here, Chichie-ue*?" Sakura questioned, greeting him a with a polite, slight bow at first before standing up straight.

Kizashi had looked at his wife, watching her absentmindedly rub the side of her daughter's hair. He knew that just from those actions alone that Mebuki was leaving all of this up to him. He would have to break the news entirely on his own. "Ah, well, you know marrying age is typically twelve, right?

Sakura nodded, "Yes, I know."

"And I was reluctant to give you away... Despite the many offers." Kizashi's arms moved behind him in a rather authoritative stance.

"More like I told you no to each and every one of them." His daughter replied, Mebuki chuckling at her daughter's words. The woman was proud that her daughter was strong and confident, even though sometimes it meant they had to fight with her ox-headed ways.

Kizashi nodded, "That too. Well, we decided to have a marriage alliance. Actually, I have already agreed to it."

"What?!" His daughter's voice rose in shock and anger, "To _who_?!"

The hairs on the back of his neck were beginning to stand; Kizashi was a man that fought many battles, but he was _still_ more afraid of his daughter. Even though he tried his best to keep her happy, he knew this was an offer than he could not leave up to her or refuse. "To Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto Uzumaki…?" At first, Sakura was confused. Her brows were furrowed as she looked down in thought, trying to recall who the boy was. Suddenly, the look of familiarity washed across her face as her eyes widened in what looked to be a mixture of shock and horror. "Wait, you mean _that_ knuckle-head?!"

"That knuckle-head is the son of the Shogun*, Minato Namikaze, and Lady Kushina of the great Uzumaki clan." Her father's voice had gotten rather stern, wishing his daughter would show the slightest bit of respect. "You can't just insult our Shogun's son, Sakura. I've taught you better than that"

"But he is an idiot! Why do I have to marry him? Why not Sasuke-kun, he's a prince? And—"

Kizashi interrupted, "I know you have feelings for Sasuke of the Uchiha clan, but Minato-dono has come to me for your hand in marriage with his son. This alliance will keep us safe for _centuries_. I cannot put _your_ feelings above _our_ clan, Sakura."

Mebuki watched as the girl's bottom lip began to tremble, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. Despite how upset she was, she knew Sakura more angry than she was sad. She could tell by how her brows knitted together and how her petite hands had balled up into tight fists; her knuckles were practically white from how tightly bawled they were. The girl was seething with rage, but trying to respectful to her father.

"Fine." Sakura swallowed her hurt and nearly all of her pride, "If it is for the clan than what would I look like putting my feelings before my people?" Even though she did not mean the words—in fact she desperately wanted to because she did care about her clan and the people that lived in their fiefdom—she knew that there was no reason to argue. It would be fruitless to do so since it was already a done deal without her permission.

"Sakura, I did not make this decision to hurt you. You know I always think of your best interest." Kizashi tried to plead with her, hating the fact that his daughter was going to resent him for this decision.

Sakura couldn't stop her tears, they poured down her face without so much of a warning. Her throat tightened, holding in a wail that was threatening to claw out of her throat. She shook her head, immediately done with talking and quickly turned away as Kirita step aside and let her walk out of the meeting room as the doors opened.

Mebuki sighed, looking at the doors that remained open upon Sakura's exit before the guards slowly slid them closed. She glanced at her husband, who was staring at the floor in guilt before closing his eyes. "I'm sure she'll grow to like Naruto." Mebuki tried to reason, "Naruto is a good boy and I know he would take good care of her."

"We need this alliance, Mebuki. We can give them horses and they can give us an army." Kizashi sighed, "I'm pretty sure the Hyūga clan will be infuriated about this. They've been trying to get Naruto to marry Hinata-hime for months. Its not going to be an easy feat having one of the four great clans angry with us."

"Kushina-chan adores Sakura as well. When you and the others gathered at Minato-dono's home after the betrayal of the Yamata clan, Naruto and Sakura have met. That's why she insults him so freely. Its been years since they have seen each other, but whatever he has done still seems to irritate her." Mebuki sighed, "I wonder what he did."

Her husband drew closer, placing his arms on her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Sakura's happiness does mean the world to me, but her safety comes first. We need these soldiers, we need all that we can get."

"I know, Kizashi…I know."

 **Flashback**

Small legs had ran as fast as they could, a smile adorning their chubby cheeks as their arms were outstretched towards the sky. They desperately tried to catch the monarch butterfly before them, but it was a little too quick for them yet the chase was still quite a thrill. "C'mon, butterfly. Let me catch you."

"Why do you want to catch the butterfly?"

The voice seemed like it came out of nowhere, startling the young girl as she ended up stumbling to stop her run. She quickly turned to the dark-haired boy that stood there, hands in the sleeves of his kimono as he seemed genuinely curious.

"Ah, because it was pretty and just to see if I could catch it." She said rather shyly.

The boy didn't seem satisfied by her answer and merely shrugged. It was as if he no longer cared, "Whatever." He mumbled, turning away from her and walking away.

"W-Wait!" She yelled, her hand out as she tried to stop him.

He looked over to her, gazing at her from over his shoulder. "What?"

"I-I'm sorry…Its nothing." She couldn't remember what she wanted to say. And that seemed to further agitate him as he sucked his teeth and kept walking forward, leaving her behind.

Young Sakura had watched as the boy's form had gotten farther and farther away, her young heart quickening as she wondered who that peculiar boy was. "Caught ya!" She jumped, startled by the loud voice.

She turned to see a boy with spiky, blonde hair and a big grin on his face. "You hurt my ear!" She yelled at him, but it didn't stop him from blinding her with that smile of his. "What did you catch anyway?"

"That butterfly you wanted." He slightly pried his hands apart, bringing them closer to her face so she could see the orange, majestic butterfly was unharmed. "You still want it, don't you?"

Sakura looked away from the butterfly and up at him, blinking a few times as her pale cheeks were now colored with a shade of red, "N-Not anymore!" She huffed. A pout adorned his face as he let the butterfly go, both of them watching it fly away from them. "Did you know who that boy was?"

"Who? Sasuke? Tch, what about 'im?" He seemed annoyed by her question, but also willing to answer.

"Sasuke…? That's his name?" Now growing more interested, she decided to ask more question. "What clan is he from?"

"The Uchiha clan." He answered rather reluctantly. "Why do you wanna know?"

"I'm going to ask him to marry me, that's why." She smiled at the idea, "Do you think he'll say yes?"

The blond folded his arms, his eyes that matched the ocean she could see from her home were averted. "No, you shouldn't even waste your time worryin' about him. I'm better than him."

"Oh? And just how are you better than him?" Unimpressed, she folded her arms across her chest as well as she waited for an answer. "What makes you better than Sasuke-san?"

The boy piped up, a grin on his face. "I'm stronger, better looking, and just overall better. Besides, I want to marry you."

"You want to marry me?" She scoffed, surprised at how bold his statement was. "What makes you think I want to marry you, idiot?!"

He pressed his thumb to his chest, "For one thing, I'm gonna grow up to be big and strong and there'll be no way you'll not notice me."

Her eyes softened upon his declaration, a small smile adorning his face. "Alright, if you become cooler than Sasuke-san then I'll marry you."

"Tch! Promise?" He held his pinky out and she wrapped hers around his.

"Promise." She nodded, "But what's your name?"

"My name? Its Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki! You better remember that! After all, I'll be your husband when we're grown up!"

 **End Flashback**

Sakura sucked her teeth as she remembered her first meeting with the Uzumaki. She was just a kid. There was no way that promise had any validation. Not just that, he definitely wasn't cooler than Sasuke since then. In fact, he just became more annoying. Even though she was angry, there was something warm about that memory that made her want to smile. "I can't believe I'll have to really marry that idiot."

"Sakura-hime?"

Her head turned towards the door, she watched as Kirita slowly slid the door open and let herself inside. "Are you alright? Do you need some time by yourself?

"I'm fine, Kirita. And what did I tell you about the whole hime thing?" She pouted her lips in annoyance, which made Kirita sigh and give a small smile.

"Sorry, Sakura." She lowered her head apologetically before standing up straight. "You seemed really upset when Kizashi-sama mentioned the marriage alliance. Is this Naruto guy a bad person?"

The princess sighed, running her fingers through her bangs to calm her nerves. "He's loud, annoying, and tends to stick out like a sore thumb. I swear, marrying him is probably the worst thing that could ever happen to me, Kirita."

"He can't be that bad… Can He? And besides, Sasuke-san isn't really the best husband material either. He's pretty… arrogant yet also withdrawn." Kirita tried to lighten up the situation.

"That's the amazing thing about him. I mean, I hate that I never know what he's thinking or how he feels. In fact, being around him is like stepping on glass. I want to know more about him…" A dreamy haze covered her eyes, leaving Kirita a little bit confused with Sakura's infatuation for the onyx-eyed boy.

The female warrior merely sighed, "That doesn't sound like fun to me honestly. I thought when you loved someone it was supposed to be… easy? Like, you feel comfortable not like your feet are stepping on a bunch of shards of glass. But if that's what you like then… that's what you like, I suppose?"

Easy? Sakura never really thought about that. From all the romantic books she read, love always seemed very complicated. It felt like a lot of hardwork and effort. Maybe it was because Sasuke posed as challenge that she liked him so much. "Oh yeah? And what do you know about love? Have you ever been in love before, Kirita?"

"I was in love once."

The admission caught the princess off-guard, her eyes widening upon Kirita's flat out answer. "What? Who were you in love with? Are they alive? Do you still have feelings for them?"

"It was a long time ago and I was just little girl." Kirita admitted bashfully, "You know the Azai clan is no more, right?" Sakura nodded, "I thought I was going to die like most of my clan, but… this man saved me. He carried me all the way to a neighboring village and stayed with me for five days. He never left my side, not even once. He let me hold his hand until I would fall asleep." The girl then reached into the pocket inside her tunic and pulled out a small black comb. "He gave me this with a line written on it."

Sakura took the prized memento and looked at the comb with the writing inscribed, "Yielding to a love that recognizes no bounds." Sakura said aloud, "Wow, that's beautiful. And it has a Akaibara* on it."

"I don't remember his face or know his name, but I'm eternally grateful to him. I decided to wait for him as well." She sighed, Sakura smiled slightly at the devotion Kirita displayed for this unknown suitor.

"That's pretty romantic." She walked towards Kirita, giving her back the comb. "I wish I had a memento from someone I liked. Sasuke-kun doesn't seem the type."

Deciding not to prolong the conversation about the Uchiha, Kirita changed the subject. "Well, you should be looking forward to the sky lanterns we're going to send off for your birthday."

"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that." She smiled at the thought. It was her favorite part of any celebration they had. They would place a note with a wish and send it off into the sky. Sakura didn't believe the wish would come true but it was always a nice thought. "I should probably take a nap. I feel a bit exhausted from hearing Chichi-ue's news. Wake up me on time, alright?"

"Of course." Kirita bowed slightly as Sakura walked towards her futon. Just a little rest wouldn't hurt, and then they would walk through the town and eat some of her favorites foods.

Even though she was just another year older, everything still seemed the same.

 **::**

 _"Sakura,"_

 _"Chichie-ue…?"_

 _"Sakura, I want you to run."_

 _"Run where?"_

 _"Away from here."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Its not safe. Get out. Get. Out. GET OUT!"_

With a yelp, the princess rose from her futon. There was sweat beading down her brow that she quickly wiped away with the sleeve of her kimono. Her eyes looked around her room, which was dark now much to her surprise. "Did… Did I oversleep?" She asked, mostly to herself. Slowly, she removed the blanket from her form and walked closer to the window. She could hear the sound of rain and even thunder in the distance. "I guess Kirita didn't wake me up because of the storm."

The answer didn't calm Sakura's nerves however. Everything seemed quiet. _Too quiet_. The castle was never quiet like this, even at night she could hear samurai walking in the halls guarding them and even a few maids chatting with hushed voices. Yet, for some reason, Sakura could not hear anything but the sound of the rain from outside.

Curious, Sakura had inched closer to her door and pressed her ear against it.

. . .

Nothing. Sliding the doors open slowly, peeking her head into the hall, she didn't see anyone. Not a samurai in sight. There should be two guarding her room while others were making rounds. What exactly was happening? Scared but drowning in inquisitiveness, Sakura decided to walk down the hall. If anything was wrong, Kirita would've been at her side. So, maybe everyone was just sleeping.

Her walking ceased, her body freezing when she heard a shrill scream from down the hall. Her eyes widened in fear as she wondered what was going on? "W-Why did they scream like that?" She asked herself, not wanting to believe in the worst but her mind couldn't help but think it.

"Chichie-ue… Haha-ue… Kirita… I have to find them." Immediately, she turned around and decided to look for her parents and her best friend.

It was hard to run in this kimono. It was entirely too long for her legs to run as fast as they could go. The sleeves too heavy for her to move her arms much and so they stayed limply at her sides. Her eyes frantically looked around the dimly-lit hall, but it felt as if the castle was completely empty.

Down the stairs and to the left, the third door to the right was her parents room. She She hurriedly made her way to the door, forcing the doors open. "Chichi-ue! Haha-ue!" She yelled as she ran in, and to her surprise she had seen her parents set up as hostages. Her father's hands were tied behind his back, his feet bounded as well, and her mother beside him in the same position. Both of their heads immediately shot up, with their eyes full of fear; not for themselves, but for their only child.

"Sakura?! Get out of here"! Kizashi yelled, "Get out of here NOW!"

"What's going on? Why are you two…?"

She couldn't say more since from the shadows of the corner of the room, a form was walking towards her. "Ah, the infamous princess of the Haruno clan." The man's bright, slit golden eyes stared directly at her. Just his stare alone nearly made it impossible for her to move.

She took one step back and then two, until her back was pressed against the wall behind her. His long, black hair wisped with each of his movements. It nearly covered his face until it just show one eye, which made him look even more frightening. His pale skin made him seem like a ghost, and Sakura couldn't find the strength in her to run.

She was completely petrified.

"Sakura! Please, you have to get out of here!" Her mother cried, fighting against her restraints in an attempt to save her daughter. "Leave her alone, Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru?

"... of the Yamata clan...?" The princess whispered, her fears doubling over upon the fact.

"So you have heard of me?" Just hearing him speak was enough to give her goosebumps and make the hairs on the back of her neck raise. "Your family helped destroyed my clan, and so it is about time that I return the favor. The Haruno clan will be no more after tonight."

His thin hand slowly reached to her face, grabbing her chin to force her to look at him. "Get… Get your hand off of me!"

"My, my…. Such a rude child."

"Get your hands off her, Orochimaru! Its me you want, she's innocent and so is my wife!" Kizashi pleaded her case, "And you won't live long; your days are numbered. When Minato-dono finds out your alive, he'lll—urgh!"

A white snake emerged from the flesh of Orchimaru's back and pierced through Kizashi's chest. Emerald eyes widened in shock and quickly filled with tears, "C-Chi… Chichi-ue!"

"Kizashi!"

"I suggest you listen or else there'll be another." The threat was not empty, Sakura could guarantee it. Yet, her eyes were now narrowing into slits. She wanted to kill him, but how? He obviously had abilities and she had none. She had no weapon. _She had nothing_. There was nothing she could do. That feeling of helplessness only enraged her even more.

Suddenly, the man screamed as the snake was severed from his body. It disappeared from Kizashi's wound, but the damage was already done. Sakura looked to her right to see Kirita, sword in hand. She was covered in blood and out of breath. "Kirita, please, get Sakura out of here, I beg of you." Mebuki pleaded, "No matter what you do, don't even look back. Promise me to keep her safe!"

Kirita looked at the two, Kizashi was barely hanging on but his eyes were pleading the same. She did not want to give up on them, she wanted to save them but Orochimaru wasn't an easy opponent. He wasn't just someone she could slice and dice. This was a battle that she could not win. Before the man could get himself together, she grabbed Sakura's wrist and dashed forward, dragging the girl with her.

"We can't leave them! Kirita, stop! We have to save my parents!" Sakura cried, but Kirita kept going despite the girl's struggles.

"Sakura-hime, your parents are long gone. Orochimaru isn't someone we can fight and win, we have to get out of here! Your mother begged me to keep you safe and that's what I intend to do."

The princess shook her head, not understanding how all of this was happening. "Why is he here? Why is this happening, Kirita?!"

The dark-haired girl tried to remain focused again but her heart was breaking each time Sakura spoke. The hurt was there, she couldn't ignore it but she couldn't distract them now. She had to get Sakura to safety.

Now out of the palace, Kirita looked left and right for a horse. The Haruno clan were infamous for their strong cavalry unit because they had good enough land for horse breeding. However, she couldn't focus solely on their scape. A sword came crashing down towards them, which made Kirita unsheathe her own to block the attack.

A young man with short, black hair that was in a messy fashion with one, single amber eye ( the other was covered by an eye-patch ) had decided he wanted a fight. Sakura looked around to see many of her father's men fighting to the death. In fact, the whole fief was a battleground. There were limbs and dead bodies everywhere. The mud was even running with blood. It was bad enough that it was raining and the ocean behind them was unsettled, crashing against the back of the cliff to make things feel much worse.

How did her birthday change from the calm, warm spring day to a thunderstorm warzone? It was getting to be too much to soak in. And Kirita was engaged in a heated battle beside her. She couldn't stand around and do nothing. She had to help them escape. Sakura ran towards the nearby stables while Kirita managed to outmaneuver her attacker.

The sound of metal clashing against each other rung in the air second after the loud crackle of thunder. "So, Orochimaru has been planning this attack for months, huh?" Kirita questioned, wanting to know the truth. "He was too coward to face Kizashi-sama head on and so he settled for this? What a coward."

In the stables was one of Sakura's favorite horses. Her eyes widen upon the sight of it as she had climbed onto the saddle, "Alright, Yumi, we have to get Kirita and get out of here." She looked over to the castle entrance where Kirita was still fighting the one-eyed boy, she had to look for the right opening to swoop in.

"When are you gonna stop playing around and actually fight me?" The boy asked, panting heavily and he raised his sword, the sharp end pointing towards her.

Kirita's eyes narrowed, gripping the handle of her katana with with deliberate purpose. She couldn't keep stalling, he would pose a problem for Sakura's escape. Even if she couldn't run off with Sakura, she could at least give the girl an opening to leave without her. Kirita had launched herself towards him. With all her weight behind the blade, she swung the sword towards the boy's neck, but he had effortlessly flicked his sword upward to catch hers.

She applied pressure, making sure she could overpower him since the position was of her advantage. He gritted his teeth, eyes shooting upward to glare at her. She couldn't let this opening go to waste. Kirita pushed forward, her sword hissing back and forth through the air as if it was possessed due to her desperation. Sakura was important to her. She promised Mebuki and her life as a samurai meant she would serve them until her last breath.

Her blade slammed against her opponents over and over, each hit becoming stronger than the other as his face contorted with frustration in surprise. In her eyes, there was anger and desperation; anger that she could not save Kizashi and Mebuki and desperation to keep Sakura alive.

Kirita's sword had hummed and flickered through the air with unparalleled ease, far faster and far smoother than what she had let be shown before. The boy found himself in a position where his only choices were to anticipate and block her strikes, leaving her no time to try and land and offensive blow of her own.

The male samurai threw his full strength behind his sword, and lunged at her. The girl anticipated his blow easily, and twisted to the side as the boy's blade swept past her. The girl's hand snapped out and his sword fell, clattering to the training area floor.

The girl lifted her sword and pointed it at him. "…This is the end for you." Her mouth curved up into a cold, confident smile. Suddenly, she felt herself moving up, Sakura's arm around her waist to hoist her up on Yumi and began to speed away. Kirita looked to Sakura, who kept her eyes straight ahead.

"You should've let me kill him! He's Orochimaru's subordinate!" Kirita yelled, surprised Sakura didn't let her exact vengeance..

"We'll have another opportunity, but now we need to get out of here before more of Orochimaru's lackeys come."

Kirita averted her gaze and nodded, sheathing her sword and adjusting herself so that she could sit comfortable. "Sakura-hime, let me take the reigns while you rest. It'll be a while before we find a safe place."

* * *

 **Dictionary** :

Chichi-ue - Honorable father

Haha-ue - Honorable mother

Damiyo - Feudal Lord of a clan and fiefdom

Fief - an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service.

Shogun - A General/Military Commander that governs all of Japan. They are de facto rules of the country, but they are officially appointed by the Emperor.

Akaibara - A red rose


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

 **Notes:** Well, first two chapters of this week are up! I'm going to release two chapters a week. Thank you for the reviews and follows/favorites! They make my day.

theIrishWriter - The first question will be answered in this chapter! u w u / Orochimaru's clan will be discussed in later chapters. What did they do and why were they wiped out will be explained. And yes, the four great clans are Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, and Uzumaki. For two chapters, I was focusing on mainly Sakura and introduction of Naruto. More clans will be seen/discussed in Chapter Three, I can guarantee that.

R&R!

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

Sakura's Resolve

* * *

"SasuKEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It was a familiar chant in the capital of Kyoto. During the midst of piece of the Namikaze and Uzumaki fiefdon was a usual battle between well-known friendly rivals. Standing on the balcony of Nijō castle was the Lady of a castle. A woman renowned for her long and fiery, red hair that fell past her knees and round, violet eyes that glimmered with adoration of her family and people. Her hands rested on the red gates of the balcony as she stared her son and the Uchiha prince. "Naruto and Sasuke are at it again?"

Walking up from beyond her was a man of 5'8 and blond, spiky hair with clear blue eyes. "Every since I told Fugaku-sama to have a meeting with me, Naruto's been finding every chance to compete with Sasuke." He answered with a playful smile on his face.

Turning to her husband, she let out a long sigh as she looked up at him. "I suppose I can never expect peace and quiet when the Uchiha clan bring their son, can I?"

"No." He said quickly with a smile, his arms wrapping around her small shoulders. "We should've gave him a sibling a long time ago, Kushina."

"And whose fault was that?!" A nervous chuckle managed to leave him as the woman's voice rose, "I asked for a daughter right when Naruto was five."

With a sigh, he nodded. "You're right, you did, Kushina." Looking over the city, he saw his son and the dark-haired teen on opposite roofs in a standoff. "But it's been hectic these past couple of years. We've been lucky that we've been free of war for a while, but who is to say that the peace will last? I will never leave you pregnant and alone."

Kushina's face softened upon his words, "Minato…" Her eyes then followed his towards their son, the corner of her lips curling up into a small smile. "Have you heard anything back from Kizashi-sama? How about Mebuki-chan? How is Sakura-hime doing? Did she like our gift?"

"Slow down." Minato shook his head, "I haven't received any letters from Kizashi-sama. It's odd since he usually replies back within a day, but I haven't received anything."

"They must've been too busy celebrating their daughter's sixteenth birthday." Kushina tried to reason, turning to look at Minato's face. Placing her hands on his shoulder, she gave him a happy smile. "Also, they will be giving her away. They might want to spend as much time with her as they possibly can, 'ttebane."

"'Kaa-san~" The duo jumped upon hearing the voice, both of them turning to see look at Naruto, waving at them with a large grin on his face. "Wanna watch me beat Sasu—" Before he could even finish the sentence, a large fireball went hurling toward Naruto's way.

"N-Naruto!" Kushina screamed out in hurry but Naruto was already counteracting the attack. Spinning his naginata, he cut the ball of flames in half, using an air ability to slice it in half down the middle as it continued to move past him while dispersing.

Minato and Kushina sighed of relief once their son was visible and in one piece. "Sasuke, what the hell?!" He yelled at the boy on the other side.

"You weren't paying attention." The Uchiha heir said simply, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. Turning away from the blond, he scaled down the walls before jumping towards the ground, landing perfectly on his feet.

Sasuke, unlike Naruto, was from a clan of ninja and samurais. The Uchiha clan was a clan of ninjas first before his father, Fugaku, had own more fiefdoms to expand themselves to be large enough to be samurai as well. Sasuke himself had the luxury to train to be both, but thought that being a ninja was less of a nuisance than being a samurai.

Annoyed that Sasuke stormed away from him, Naruto turned towards his parents. "I'll be home in a sec!"

"Can you believe it? Naruto is actually seventeen now." Kushina said as she watched Naruto safely ease his way down before letting his feet touch the ground.

Minato smiled upon her words, "I can't believe it still. It feels like just yesterday I was told you had to hold him first."

"You're still upset about that?" She questioned, laughing as she remembered his irritated expression when being denied to hold their first and only newborn. "I remember holding such a fragile boy in my arms…" She closed her eyes, losing herself in the memories of the day she first met her precious son, her Naruto.

"But now that he is growing to be a man, he'll be getting married. Remember when we allowed him to become a samurai at fourteen?" Minato sighed at the thought, "And now he gets to marry out of love than obligation."

Kushina nodded, smiling at the thought. "Naruto never likes decisions being made for him and I'm sure an arranged marriage is something that he won't like. Yet, he told me that he promised to marry Sakura-hime, so I'm sure the news would excite him, wouldn't it?"

"I doubt it." The Shogun rubbed his temples, dreading the thought of this conversation happening. "He said he wanted to marry her on his terms. When we tell him we arranged it, he'll be infuriated."

"Then how are we going to bring this up to him, Minato?" Both of them sighed simultaneously. This was not going to end well.

Minato shook his head, uncertainty on his features. "It would be simple to just tell him and see how it goes. If Naruto wishes to not marry her right away or wants to carry through with a plan, we can put the marriage alliance on hold. Both of us fought against our arranged marriages, so I don't think it is fair that we don't allow Naruto to choose as well."

It was times like these that she was glad that Minato had an open-mind and a gentle heart. "You said the Hyūga clan proposed a marriage alliance, didn't you?"

"Yes..." Folding his arms, he sighed once more. "I really didn't want to refuse them because they have skilled warriors, warriors you would want to be on your side during a battle."

"Their daughter… What is she like?" It didn't surprise him to hear her curious about a possible girl that could take her son away. Even though Kushina was rooting for Sakura, she still wanted to know about the Hyūga princess.

Minato hummed in thought, "I don't know much about her but I did hear she's beautiful; quite on the shy side as well… That's all I know."

Fumbling their way in the room, Naruto pushed open the sliding doors and ran over to his parents who he thought were in the middle of a playful fight. "Uh, 'kaa-san… 'tou-san…" He looked at the two, wondering if it was okay for him to interrupt.

"Naruto." As usual, his mother gave him her full attention, ignoring Minato at her side. He could the feel the heatwave radiating off of her, reminding him that their fight was not necessarily over. "Are you causing chaos around the city?!" The boy jumped as soon as his mother voice raised, yelping as he envisioned her growing large in size and hair floating wildly from the aura of her anger.

"N-No!" He immediately said, pleading for her to show mercy. "Sasuke and I were just playing around, I'm serious! Nothin' got damaged and nobody got hurt!" Continuously, he felt himself getting smaller and smaller by her glare.

Taking his son's word for it, Minato placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You're the son of the Shogun, Naruto. You have to be a little more careful in your play fights or whatever you two are doing."

"Ah, yeah, I know." Rubbing the back of his head, he gave his parents a large grin. "Sasuke has gotten strong and I felt a bit jealous. I thought I was still stronger, but I guess I'm not… Heh!"

His mother scoffed, "You just have to train some more. I don't want Mikoto-chan telling me her son bested you!" Kushina was still as competitive as ever. "Oh, and Naruto," gathering the boy's hands in hers, she gave him a playful smirk. "Do you remember, Sakura-hime?"

Naruto rose a brow, confused by his mother's behavior but the thought of Sakura had made him avert his gaze and try to fight the crimson blush that was scattering across his cheekbones. "O-Of course I remember, Sakura-hime."

Minato and Kushina looked at one another, smiling. "Well, your father and I spoke to Kizashi-sama and—"

The doors hurried open, Kakashi came running through. "Kakashi? What's the matter?" Minato questioned, knowing full well that his general was usually never in a hurry and had something urgent to report.

Kakashi was General of the Namikaze clan, serving under Minato ever since he was just a boy. He was a relatively tall man, spiky hair and dark-colored eyes. He always wore a mask that covered half his face; including his narrow jawline. A small, vertical car ran over his left eye, which has a history behind it that most people come to know once they've been blessed to work under him. Only at thirty-one, he accomplished many great things more many men his age and even earned quite a few legendary names as well. Most of the samurai and ninjas looked up to Kakashi and had great respect for him even though he plays off as this lazy man that rather read all day than have time for war.

"The Haruno clan was attacked last night, and many people of the villages claim that Orochimaru of Yamata led the charge."

Naruto's eyes widened, Kushina gasped as Minato's face hardened. "What about Kizashi-sama and his family?"

Kakashi's eyes had looked down, "They are dead, Minato-sama."

"S-Sakura-hime can't be dead!" Naruto yelled, his heartbreak embedded in his voice as Kushina began to shed tears.

"I actually have no idea if Sakura-hime was killed during the raid or not. Kizashi and Mebuki-sama were both killed. We found their bodies hung outside the gates of Ōta castle." He informed them as Kushina's cries had grown louder.

Minato instinctively pulled his wife close, pressing her head to his shoulder as she grieved over the loss of one of her closest friends. "If Sakura-hime is still alive, we must find her before Orochimaru does."

"I'm going to help search for her too!" Naruto chimed in, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. His hand was balled up in a tight fist, "There's no way I'm letting that psycho get his hands on her."

Naruto's mind was set on it and once he became fixated with something, there was no turning back. Minato nor Kushina could even ask him to change his mind since both of them knew that Orochimaru was a serious problem that had to be dealt with immediately. "Naruto, don't be in such a hurry." His father tried to reason, "We don't know where Sakura-hime is and we have no idea if Orochimaru is using her as bait."

"As bait? Bait for what?" Naruto questioned, turning to look at his father to hear a full explanation.

"The Yamanaka and many other clans are allied with Haruno. Also, you know Empress Tsunade cares deeply for Sakura-hime. He could be using this to his advantage to incite war. He might also know that we also were going to be alliance with them." Naruto then began to wonder something.

"So, you and Kizashi-sama were planning an alliance? How? Just a neutral alliance."

Kushina decided to step in, "No. We were going to have you and Sakura-hime form a marriage alliance. That way, Kizashi-sama would send us horses and you would be married to Sakura-hime…"

The boy looked incredulous upon the news. He was torn between feeling angry and excited. Now wasn't the time to be either one, but he couldn't help the emotions that were building up inside him. "Sakura-chan and I were…." He mumbled, "going to be married and you guys didn't tell me?!"

"We were just about to, Naruto." His father's voice grew stern, "But Kakashi just told us the news of the Haruno clan. At this rate, we might have to renege and have you marry Hinata of the Hyūga clan."

"But why?!"

Kushina, also surprised by her husband's words, looked at him in confusion. "Orochimaru wants vengeance. We decimated his clan after all the terror they have caused. We're going to need a stronger army and the Hyūga clan can give us that."

'But I don't want to marry Hinata." Naruto stubbornly declared, "I don't want Sakura-chan to be forced to marry me either, but she needs me. I _have_ to protect her."

"Naruto, this isn't _just_ about you." Minato walked forward, trying to get his words through his son. "A war is coming and we need all the samurai and ninjas that we can get."

"We'll get them! I promise you, 'Tou-san. Just let me do it, I can get everyone on our side and put that sick snake down, dattebayo!"

Naruto had left his parents room, eager to get Sasuke to join up with him. If there was one person Naruto could count on to have his back, it would be his best friend. He was sure Sasuke would help join him in the hunt to find Sakura and fight against Orochimaru. He was confident enough since he figured Sasuke wouldn't want to get one-upped.

Kakashi watched the boy leave before looking at Minato and Kushina, despite their hearts being heavy with worry, they believed in their son more than they ever did before. "Minato-sama, Naruto can't do this alone. If you want, I can gather a few men and we can begin the search for Sakura-hime."

"No, I'm going to need you, Kakashi." Minato turned to look out at the balcony, feeling the shift in the air that wasn't as harmonious as it was minute prior. "We'll be needed to gather information and send a letter to Empress Tsunade of what happened to the Haruno. She won't be happy. And we'll need to gather everyone that we can to fight alongside us. I should've been more careful when rumors of Yamata supporters were spreading around, I didn't want to believe it to be true but look what's happened…"

The teenage boy had ran to the part of the castle that the Uchiha were staying during their visit. They had taken the right wing, enjoying the garden area due to their heirs being very much aggravated when they haven't gotten their training time. Itachi, quite infamous in his own right, was with them and it also meant Sasuke didn't want to stray from his brother too much. Itachi and Sasuke felt like brothers to him in the first place. Itachi was gentle-mannered, thoughtful, and well-spoken. Sasuke was arrogant, competitive, and aloof but he always seemed to shrink whenever he was beside Itachi. All of them had such polar personalities but they gotten along much better than anyone would ever think.

"Naruto?" A woman with long, black hair and eyes to match had gotten his attention as she was knitting in the middle of the living room-like area. Naruto came to a halt to speak to the gentle woman that was Itachi and Sasuke's mother.

"Ah, oba-chan*," He greeted her with a smile, "have you seen Sasuke?" Mikoto smiled upon the greeting and nodded.

"He's speaking to Fugaku, so you'll have to wait a little while. In the meantime, you can talk to me." Leading Naruto to an unoccupied room, she sat down on a zabuton* and offered him one as well. Naruto patiently sat down, curious of what Mikoto wanted to speak about. "Sasuke might be a bit moody for a while."

"Huh? How come?" inquired the young samurai, "I mean… He's always moody, but if you think he's gonna be moody then it must be even worse."

She placed a hand over her lips before letting out a breathy, sweet laugh. It then dimmed some minutes after, her eyes showcasing a sense of somberness. "Fugaku and I were thinking of Sasuke's future and the future of the clan," Naruto's eyes stayed trained on her as she spoke, "he's young and handsome… He's really strong and we need to make sure that the Uchiha clan's legacy continues on."

"Uh... oba-chan, where are you going with this?"

It surprised her how he didn't catch on, she figured she made it painfully obvious. "Well, we're planning on making Sasuke get married."

"Married? He's only eighteen, oba-chan!" Even though it was normal, especially for girls to get married at the age of twelve, he didn't see himself or Sasuke getting married until they were in their twenties.

She felt the same but she had to think of the better of the clan as well, "We haven't told him who he'll be marrying but he knows he will be, at least now he does."

"Well, who is it?" Well, he was indefinitely interested on what poor girl would be forced to marry the brooding Uchiha. "Is it someone I know?"

Before Mikoto could answer, the sliding door of the room opened to reveal Sasuke. The look on his face summed up his whole feeling on the marriage issue. He looked aggravated as if he was given a problem that was beyond his comprehension.

"Sasuke…" His mother's voice rung in the air, her worry evident on her face. The last thing she wanted was any of her boys to be unhappy.

His onyx eyes glanced towards her before averting, Naruto noted his silence and felt uncomfortable. Even though he came here with important news, he was starting to feel that now might not be the time. No, Sakura's life was on the line. He couldn't wait for Sasuke to feel better. That was way more important.

Naruto had stood on his feet, "Sasuke," the Uchiha male looked at him, his eyes noting the shift in the boy's atmosphere. Whatever Naruto had to say, it was important. "The Haruno clan was attacked by Orochimaru last night."

Mikoto gasped, dropping the needle and kimono that she was threading. "That's what Fugaku was in a hurry about? Oh no, what about—"

"Kizashi-sama and Mebuki-sama didn't make it. Sakura-hime is nowhere to be found." He announced, the woman's hand clasped over her mouth as she closed her eyes. Mikoto, Mebuki, and Kushina were all childhood friends. It was painfully obvious that they would take the news harder than anyone else.

Sasuke knelt to comfort his mother, who smiled through her tears at her son's concern. "I'll be alright, Sasuke." She said in hopes to ease his worries.

"Since Sakura-hime can't be found. I was hoping that you could help me find her, Sasuke."

Mikoto looked to Sasuke, wondering what his answer would be. Sasuke glanced away from his mother and towards the Uzumaki, "You want me to look for the princess? What is that going to solve?"

"She needs to be kept safe before Orochimaru kills her as well. Don't you care if she gets killed?!" Naruto's brows furrowed upon the boy's nonchalance and obvious uncaring attitude towards the Haruno princess.

"People die everyday." He simply said, "And who knows that us searching for her is actually going to keep her safe. Orochimaru will know where she is and it'll make her an easier target." He explained, somewhat startling Naruto as he hadn't thought of that either. "If he thinks Sakura is dead or didn't make it, wouldn't she be safer that way? If nobody is searching for her that means Sakura is dead and she can live in safety."

Mikoto's eyes glanced to the floor, realizing that her son may have a point. If Sakura stayed in hiding then she wouldn't be a target. Orochimaru wouldn't suspect her being alive if she couldn't be found. "That's nonsense, Sasuke! If she is alive, that doesn't mean Orochimaru won't find her! If we find her, she'll stay here and be safe. She'll also not have to deal with bandits, you know there are bandits everywhere! You know what they do to people!"

"If she managed to escape, do you think she's alone? There's obviously someone helping her."

That was also true, Naruto didn't think of that either. He was so wrapped around the idea of finding Sakura and protecting her himself that he hadn't realized that if Sakura did escape, she might not have actually escaped alone.

"I have to do something, Sasuke. I can't just sit around and do nothing." Naruto said with gritted teeth, becoming aggravated about the whole situation.

Sasuke understood that Naruto felt pained and probably useless that he was in no help to Sakura at the moment. The Uchiha sighed, looking away as he was beginning to feel uncharacteristically guilty about shooting down each and every one of Naruto's ideas. He knew the Uzumaki liked the Haruno princess. That was the whole reason behind Naruto's resolve to find her.

"Fine, I'll help you look for her." Mikoto and Naruto looked at Sasuke in surprise, "Its not like I have anything to do here."

Mikoto looked at the two boys, a sense of content upon her face. _'They are really growing up...'_ She thought, amazed at how she remembered the two being five and running around, causing havoc to anyone that crossed their paths. Having Itachi running around after them and cleaning up their messes. She had stood and placed her small hands on her son's shoulders. "Sasuke, please be careful. I'll tell your father that you joined the search for Sakura-hime."

Naruto infamous grin decorated his face, "Uh, where's Itachi?"

"He just left with Chichie-ue to look for Kakashi," answered Sasuke, "I'm assuming its about Orochimaru and how we're going to deal with them."

"Alright. I know just the team!" Naruto smacked his fist into his open palm, "We'll need Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino."

The Uchiha sighed in aggravation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 **::**

Six days later...

A pair of bright, emerald eyes had flew open to stare at the ceiling above them. The gaze was hazy, blurry at most and the thought of concentrating further seemed unwanted. Rolling to her side, she decided to force herself back to sleep until realizing she was not at home. Immediately sitting up, she looked to her right to see a sleeping familiar face. "Kirita…" She murmured, feeling a bit at ease knowing that someone she knew was at her side. Surveying what looked to be a small hut, she figured that Kirita brought her here upon their long travel of escape on horseback.

Pulling her knees towards her chest, the girl wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin in between her knees. Her memories thrashed around her head violently as she stared blankly ahead, hearing the crackling sound of the kagizuru*. It would take some time to soak in the suffering she had just faced but she knew now, more than ever, that she had to become strong. She had planned vengeance for what happened to her father and mother.

Her parents did not deserve to die, especially not like that. Her father was a man who wanted to protect his people and his family. Wars? The Shogun title? He never cared for any of that. He was a charismatic, social butterfly that could make anyone in the room laugh and smile; always making jokes and getting to know people with the slightest bit of effort. He had a way with people, a way she wished she had, and it made her idolize him since she was young.

Now her mother, she was a fiery spirit. She never allowed Sakura to behave like a spoiled brat no matter how much the princess tried. She would always put her in her place and not coddle her like her father did. Even if it angered Sakura, she grew to appreciate that her mother was trying to make her strong.

If there was one thing Sakura wished, she had wished she told her parents that she loved them before Kirita dragged her way. That day, a day that was supposed to be joyous with her and filled with happy memories were now inked with their deaths.

"Sakura-hime, you're awake!" Sakura had slowly glanced to the girl who was resting minutes ago and greeted her with a small and forced smile. "You've been sleeping for two days, I was worried and that's why I made some stew and-"

"I'm fine, Kirita, I'm just a little tired." She tried to calm the girl's worries, placing a hand on top of hers. Kirita's worry didn't disappear but it lessened some as she held onto the princess' hand.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect Kizashi-sama or Mebuki-sama, if I had reached them sooner then—"

Sakura interrupted her, shaking her head and continuing to appear strong. "I know, Kirita, you served my family valiantly. No one could save them, and if anyone should of done it then…" It was clear that Sakura blamed herself for not saving her father and mother. She felt because she was there that she could've done something, anything, to have saved them

The bright purple eyes of the female warrior had burned with intensity upon realizing that the princess thought she should've saved her parents. Kirita's hands held onto the princess' tightly, Sakura looking at her with surprise. "Sakura-hime, don't blame yourself either if I am not allowed to take the blame. That man who murdered your family and took our home… he is the only one to blame."

The princess nodded, agreeing with her, but she couldn't help but wonder as to how all of this even transpired in the first place. What enemies did her father have that she was unaware of? Why would someone want to kill her father in the first place?

Kirita, you know we can't keep running forever." Sakura reasoned, "How long do you think it is safe to stay here?

At least two days. We covered our tracks well, but ninjas are extremely good at their jobs. "Ninjas…" Sakura never an enemy ninja and she never wanted to either. Their stealth and quick, easy kills were enough to frighten her. Never in her life did Sakura fight before, her father finding no need for a princess to fight. Now she had no way in protecting herself and only had to rely on Kirita.

"I want to find out what happened to my mother and father." She spoke up, the warrior beside her looking at her in surprise and concern. "In order to do that, I have to learn how to fight."

Shuffling her feet, the young woman wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Her lips pursed, her eyes drifted away from the princess' to think more on the subject. "Kizashi-sama wouldn't have liked to know I let you pick up a weapon."

"My father is not here anymore." Her voice hardened, her eyes ablaze with determination. "If I want to survive without constantly having you to fight for me, to get my revenge, then I need a means of protection that is not you, Kirita. I have to know how to fight."

When Sakura spoke with so much resolve, it was hard to sway her. She was stubborn like that and Kirita knew that all that too well. Seeing as continuing to debate on whether it was a right decision or not had only increased the princess' desire to fight, Kirita caved in. "Learning how to use a sword will take too long," She sighed, "And so, I'll teach you how to use a bow and arrow."

"That'll do just fine." Sakura smiled, glad that Kirita had reasoned with her. "But first, I have something that I need to do."

"Huh? But what about the stew? And I don't think its safe for you to be on your own." Kirita immediately got to her feet, anxious at the idea for Sakura to be on her own just yet.

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to the river. I need some time to think." Sakura said with a smile. "Besides, I think Yumi might need some attention."

Although hesitant, Kirita gave her a slow nod and began to pour herself some stew. Sakura had slowly opened the hut door and stepped outside, breathing in deeply to the fresh, farm air. They were still in Haruno fiefs. It would take them a couple of weeks before they left the province completely. Either way, they were still far from the castle and hopefully far away from Orochimaru's clutches.

Her feet slowly walked towards the riverbank where Yumi's reins were tied neatly around a tree. The horse was eating grass and acting quite calm despite the hectic ordeal they escaped from. Patting the horse's side, the horse slowly turned to look at the princess before going back to eating. With a smile, Sakura had noticed the bag on the saddle. Unbuckling it open she had found a pink blanket, wrapped gift with a letter attached to.

Curiously, she opened the letter and began to read its contents:

 _Sakura,_

 _I know you're quite angry with me after I announced to you the marriage between you and Naruto Uzumaki. I know that you want to marry out of love and not out of forced commitment. I was lucky enough to have met your mother as a young samurai. She was but a farmer girl, but I knew I loved her when I first spoke to her. I want you to fall in love too. I don't ever want you to force yourself to love someone, but as a Damiyo, I have to look for your best interest, which might not align with your heart. I know you like to ride Yumi when you're angry and so I dropped your presents off in here. I hope when you read this, you have forgiven me and please give this Naruto fellow a chance. He seems quite nice. He even got you a present._

 _Love,_

 _Your Father_

It was just then that the tears couldn't stop flowing, still trying her best to weep silently. Her mouth was glued shut but her eyes were like waterfalls. Nothing could stop them as she quickly unwrapped the blanket with blurry eyes. It was a small Tantō* with a pink sheath. The haruno symbol was on the bottom with a cherry blossom petal in its center. Sakura unsheathed the small dagger and admired the craftsmanship and sharpness of the blade. So, her father wanted her to be able to protect herself in someway, huh? Who knew that his early thinking would actually have come to use.

Pressing the Tanto close to her and all she could manage to do at the moment was cry. Whimpers that she had tried to suppress had crept upon her lips, spilling out over and over as her shoulders shook. "Chichie-ue... Haha-ue…" The pain of losing them had completely washed over her all over again, "I promise to avenge you. I won't let him get away with this. Orochimaru _will_ die." She whispered, unsheathing the dagger and taking the ribbon that tied her hair in its ponytail. She walked over towards the river, staring at her reflection as she raised all of her hair and with one fell swoop, cut her hair.

Her hair was now short, only reaching the end of her neck. She had dropped the remainder of her hair in the river, watching it float and go down stream. "In order to avenge you, I can't be Sakura, princess of the Haruno clan. I have to become someone else." Biting down her lip, she stare at the dagger as she began to strengthen her resolve. "I have to be Sakura, the warrior, now."

Sheathing the Tantō, she had placed it inside her obi, tucking it neatly so that it could not be seen. Although her hair was quite choppy since it wasn't done by a professional, she didn't care. This Sakura could not care about her looks. This Sakura cared about revenge. She had to leave nearly everything about herself behind.

Walking back towards Yumi, she reached into the bag of the saddle and pulled out the letter and gift from what she assumed was from Naruto. She opened the present first to see two, small double cherry blossom hair clips. Sakura rose a brow but slowly smiled before placing both of them in her hair. She then open the letter:

 _Sakura-chan,_

 _It has been a few months since I last wrote to you. I didn't want to be too annoying, dattebayo! Anyway, you told me you mastered horse-riding, congrats! I'd like to learn that too, you'll have to teach me next time we see each other._

 _Anyway, since it's your birthday, I got you these hair clip things that my mom usually wears. When I saw them, they reminded me of you. You know, your name and hair… so I bought 'em! I hope you like them, I'm not really good at picking things out for girls. Sasuke even told me to tell you happy birthday, he's been busy lately and that's why he hasn't replied to your letters. You should totally give up on writing him letters and just keep talking to me. Hehe._

 _I'm going to live up to my promise, dattebayo. Just be a little patient. When you see me, you won't even believe how much handsome I got! Ha, way better than Sasuke!_

 _From,_

 _Naruto_

"That idiot…" She whispered, pressing the letter to her lips while trying to fight her smile. "He'll never change…"

Not wanting to stay by the river too much longer, Sakura had placed the letters and wrapping blankets back in the bag. She slowly made her way back to the hut, seeing Kirita slurping down the bowl of stew. The young warrior turned to look at her, her eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets. "S-Sakura-hime! Y-Your…"

"My hair? I cut it." She answered before sitting next to Kirita. "I decided to avenge my parents and in order to do that. I have to let everything that I was go. I can't be a princess anymore. I have to be a samurai, like you. Well, an archer samurai or whatever." She shrugged her shoulders before picking up a bowl, taking the ladle and pouring herself some of the steaming beef stew.

"You're… You're really serious about this, huh?" Kirita asked, making sure if this was what Sakura really wanted to do.

"Yes. I won't let Orochimaru get away with this." She answered before taking a sip, wincing a bit due to how hot it was. "So, I want Kyūdō lessons as soon as possible, okay? I need to figure out a plan, but something tells me that maybe I should see Naruto soon."

* * *

 **Dictionary** :

Oba-chan - Aunt

Zabuton - Floor pillow

Kagizuru - Fireplace

Tantō - Literally translate to short blade and is similiar to a dagger/knife


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

 **Notes:** Thank you for the reviews! I'm happy to keep NS lovers pleased with this story. There's never enough NS, even though... Naruto and Sakura haven't physically met yet but they will soon!

I love samurais and love the whole history and artistic meanings during the eras they thrived and since samurais are also in the world of Naruto, I was always curious how things would be if they were reversed, especially since there was a special drawing of them in samurai armor. Sakura was an onne-bugeisha, which she will become in this story.

Another thing I have to add, if anyone is curious why I go from Lady Mebuki to Mebuki-sama, they both mean the same. -sama can be used to say Lady/Lord as well. I don't use -dono, which roughly translates to Lord/Master because it is not used for nobles and is below sama in level of respect.. And the reason for Naruto's flucutation between -hime and -chan for Sakura is because he is being respectful of her status around others ( like his mother, father, and whoever that do not know Sakura personally that are adults ) but he uses -chan around people who know her, his and her peers, and as a sign of endearment practically telling everyone how much he cares about her ( which he also does in the manga ). Naruto doesn't use honorifics for anybody else, but he does so in this story out of respect ( when it is needed ) because his mama is around to make him wise up and be respectful.

I hope that isn't confusing. Also, if you see no honorifics that means disrespect or they are close to that person. Sakura would never use an honorific for Orochimaru because she hates him ( as well as many other people do ) and Sasuke is a male friend, but they aren't close ( which is canonically correct if I follow the manga before 699+ of their relationship ) and she doesn't use a suffix for Naruto at first because she is doing out if disrespect/tsundere nature until she eventually keeps doing so because she is close to him that there is no need for an honorific. Does that make sense? I'm terrible at explaining things.

I will not use honorifics all the time, but I will use them when they are to present a level of distance/closeness or out of respect.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Wheels in Motion

* * *

"Am I listening right or did Naruto just ask me to team up with you guys?" Leaning against a wall, arms folded under her bust was a female of long, platinum blonde hair that was pulled in a high ponytail with a long bang that covered the right side of her face. Her blue-green eyes were staring straight at the Uzumaki, who seemed puzzled by her own confusion in his offer.

"Uh, well, you're a ninja." He pointed out.

"Duh." She said, smirking as she teased him.

A frown formed on his face, "But most of all, you're one of Sakura's best friends."

Her smirk dipped into a frown, her eyes averting and looking down at the floor. That part was true, Sakura was one of her best friends. The thought of her out there and having no protection did worry the Yamanaka to death.

"So, why wouldn't I ask you?" Naruto went on to say.

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you forced me and Choiji along." said a young man, his hair pulled up in a spiky ponytail and narrowed eyes, who seemed already finished with the mission before it even started.

"We need a strategist." mentioned the robust boy on his right, who was already eating a few rice balls as they stood in the room.

Naruto nodded, agreeing with Choji. "Basically."

Sasuke stood in the corner, listening while wearing a bored expression. He nearly turned out everything since everything they were speaking about wasn't relatively important. "That's it? There's no more?" Ino asked, "Just us?"

"Uh, well, yeah. I didn't know who else to ask." Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto gave a sheepish grin. "Besides, this is more than enough, right?"

"What about your cousin, Karin-hime? She's a ninja, and a sensor type. Wouldn't she have been a more valuable asset to the team?" Sasuke mentioned, Naruto had then swiveled his head towards him.

"Tch, how could I have forgotten? I dunno. Karin seemed a bit hesitant when I mentioned the mission and I think 'kaa-san doesn't want her out here. She'll be worried. You know, Uzumaki are just a few of a dozen thanks to the Yamata clan."

Ino then chimed in upon realization, "So that's why you have your mother's name instead of your father's?"

"Uh yeah. Uzumaki is one of the four great clans. In order to keep the Uzumaki clan alive, they decided to name me after them so when I have children, they'll share that last name and keep the line going." He answered. "Karin-nee can't do that because she'll take her husband's name."

"Anyhow, we need to come up with a plan." Shikamaru spoke up, deciding to get this plan together so they didn't waste time talking about trivial things that did not have anything to do with saving Sakura. "Alright, so, Kishū province is pretty close. So, between here and there, Sakura should be within these fiefs." Shikamaru pointed at the map, all of them circling around the table.

"Do you think she would come here?" Naruto asked, "I mean, she would be safest in Kyoto. It's the capital and home of the Shogun."

"True, but how many of Orochimaru's men are from here to Ōta castle that are probably looking for her?" Shikamaru questioned, "If she did try to come here, she would have to be heavily disguised."

Sasuke then decided to speak, "It'll be difficult for her to disguise herself. She might just be the only person in the land with pink hair."

"Even so," The blonde-haired girl sighed, "nobody would suspect her to be out there in the open like that." Ino said rather matter-of-factly, "Now would they?"

"True, they might mistake her for someone else." Shikamaru rested his pointer finger against his temple. "I hope Sakura-hime is smart about this or else she'll get herself killed. We can't just rely on us being smart, we'll have to rely on her too."

"So, what do we do? Do we head towards Ōta castle or do we stay guarded around Kyoto?" asked Sasuke, unsure of what the plan is.

"If anything, Sakura is probably protected." Ino looked at the map, starting at the area where Ōta castle stood. "Her bodyguard, Kirita-san, is undoubtedly alive and probably taking care of her. Kirita-san is an excellent swordswoman. There's no way she wouldn't be attached to Sakura's side right now."

"Kirita" Naruto questioned, squinting his eyes as he tried to recall someone by that name. "I think I remember Sakura-chan mentioning her, but…?"

Rolling her eyes, the girl decided to speak. "Kirita-san is the daughter of former Damiyo, Katsurou Azai. Their clan was destroyed by Yamata during the Great War. Orochimaru gave away his sister to marry Katsurou, but Kirita-san was born a little before the second marriage. Katsurou had married Orochimaru's sister, Mariko-hime. Within six years of their marriage, she had two children but Orochimaru laid Siege to Odani castle, which is why their battle is noted by that name. The Hatake clan sent a relief force, but they were defeated, chased back into their lands and almost decimated. With no hopes of winning, Katsurou was killed during the battle and he sent Kirita-san away, her brothers and sisters were all slaughtered in the castle."

Naruto's heart grew heavy upon the story, his eyes looking downward. "Kirita-san became a rōnin. She served her father and since her father died, you know you're forced to either commit suicide or wander the land to bear the shame of not following your Lord into the afterlife. Sakura said Kirita-san saved her when she was young from a mercenary and taken her back to Mebuki-sama, and since then… Kizashi-sama and Mebuki-sama adopted Kirita-san into the Haruno clan by Sakura's request and out of gratitude. I've met Kirita-sana before and she very much cares for Sakura and the Haruno clan. She would kill for Sakura if it meant protecting her. So I can't imagine Kirita-san dying in battle to leave Sakura helpless and alone."

Shikamaru, Choji, Sasuke, and Naruto had stood in silence upon the end of Ino retelling of Kirita's story. All of them now mentally agreeing that Sakura did have one piece of protection. "Would Kirita know that Sakura-chan would be safest in Kyoto?" Naruto asked.

"That I don't know. As far as I know, I think Kirita-san has no idea what place is safe for Sakura right now."

Even though Sasuke wanted to lecture how they were going into this blindly, he kept his mouth a closed and in a thin line because he knew that Naruto wasn't going to change his mind. Naruto literally did not mind setting them up for a wild-goose chase in order to look for the last Haruno clan member.

"It should be easy enough, right?" There was uncertainty in his voice, Naruto beginning to think that maybe he was being a little too optimistic. He couldn't help but hope that Sakura was alive and in one piece.

Shikamaru sighed and nodded, "It's all we got. We can even split up and search before regrouping. We will _not_ ask any of the villagers for her name, but we will just ask for her by her appearance; pink hair, a girl of sixteen of age, and green eyes."

"What about Kirita? She poses no threat, right?" Choji asked, finally speaking. "It wouldn't be harmful to ask about her by name, right?"

"Actually, it would." Shikamaru knitted his brows together, "Due to Ino's giving us Kirita's background, Orochimaru definitely knows who she is. He killed her father after all. We would be putting them at risk by doing that. Also, Kirita might be smart enough to give them aliases as well. So nobody would know who they were even if we asked based on their names alone..."

"This… This isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be." Naruto openly admitted. "I'm really glad I thought of you, Shikamaru."

"Without me, you would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with the stress of thinking of every side of this situation. Thanks a lot, _Naruto_." Although the Nara was just teasing, he really was irked that he couldn't rest on one of his few days of leisure.

Ino chuckled as Naruto released a bashful chuckle, "Don't worry, Naruto. Forehead is important to me too, so there's no way I'll have you scramblin' around looking for her by yourself. I'm just surprised you got Sasuke to tag along."

"I had nothing better to do. Besides, the idiot would get himself killed." Sasuke quickly replied, not ashamed or regretting what he said, which he knew ticked off the Uzumaki.

"Teme…" mumbled Naruto as he averted his gaze in an angry manner. Normally, he would've been ready to attack and yell across the room but now wasn't the time.

Choji plopped another rice ball into his mouth before dusting off his hands and armor, "Anyway, now that we're all set and stuff, we should start moving and not waste our time. Every minute counts now."

"You're right, Choji. Alright, let's find Sakura-chan and bring her to safety!"

"First," Sasuke said, "there's someone I have to see." And with that, the Uchiha turned to leave, which left Naruto and the others curious as to Sasuke was going to meet.

"Where do you think he's going?" Choji asked, glancing away from the door Sasuke had left from and towards Naruto.

"I have no idea. He's been acting strange since this morning." Naruto sighed, thinking that maybe Sasuke was still taking the news of his impending marriage hard.

Ino noticed Naruto's odd disposition and decided to prod into his business, "You know what's up, don't you, Uzumaki?"

"Huh? What?! N-No! I honestly have no idea!" It was obvious that he was lying now. He was about to break into a sweat as he raised his arms, holding them in front of him.

Naruto knew Ino as well as Sakura were both infatuated with Uchina, for reasons unknown to him, but he was pretty sure Ino's curiosity was out of self-interest than out of general concern for his best friend. "Spill it, Naruto!" She urged, taking a step into his direction, her blue-green eyes quite menacing as they locked onto him.

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Maa, girls are _so_ annoying…" He mumbled, mostly to himself. "I heard Sasuke might get married. I can see that being the reason to drag him down. Can't say I blame him, marriage seems quite the headache."

"Married?! W-What?! Since when?!" Ino yelled, fists balled up as she turned to Shikamaru for answered. "And why didn't you tell me about it?!"

"I figured you would've known. Aren't you in the Sasuke fanclub?" Shikamaru replied as Naruto was relieved that heat was off him, but he wondered just how the Nara found out about it?

"How do you know about it, Shikamaru?" Ino had beat Naruto to the question.

The dark-haired boy shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly crossing his arms. "There's been talks about a big Uchiha alliance. Its only rumors but after Orochimaru took a big chunk of the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans during the Battle of Konoha during the Great War, it's been said that both clans are trying their best to keep the clans from extinction."

The blond somberly nodded, thinking about his distant cousin, Karin, who had witnessed her village being destroyed, which held some of the remainder of Uzumaki. He also thought of his mother recalling the event where many Uzumaki died during the Battle of Konoha.

"So, who is she?" pressed the Yamanaka.

"That, Ino, I don't know." Frowning, she watched as Shikamaru sheathed his hands into his pockets, eyes closed as he let out a tired sigh. "I'm gonna take a nap. Hopefully, Sasuke will be back and we'll kick this plan into action."

 **::**

Kirita was more than fine with walking, allowing Sakura to ride the horse as they walked along the dirt road. She took more comfort that in case something would happen, an attack per say, Sakura could hightail it out of there with Yumi. Despite Sakura arguing on why both of them should be on the horse, Kirita proved that she was more stubborn than what Sakura took her for.

"When will I start Kyūdō training, Kirita?" Sakura finally broke the silence.

"At night, when we camp. That way you can practice as much as you want." Kirita answered, "We'll start tonight, but first we need to get you a bow and quiver full of arrows."

That was also true. How could she begin training for a weapon she did not have? "That should be easy. The next town shouldn't be that far, and we can make it there before night fall."

"Also, we'll have to have different names."

The princess rose a brow, "Huh?"

Kirita's eyes glanced upward at her before looking back towards the road. "Even though Sakura is actually a common name, nearly everyone knows that a girl with cherry blossom colored hair named Sakura is the princess of the Haruno clan. Even if your people have never seen you, they'll immediately know it's you and the last thing we want is to draw attention."

Sakura nodded, "You have a point. So, that means… I can be anyone that I want, huh? A new name…"

"Yes, and I'll have to take on a new alias as well."

They continued with pensive silence, lost in thought of what they would call themselves temporarily. "How about Mio? No, Misaki! Oh, how about Hana?!"

"Your name has to mean something with a blossom, huh?" Even though she was teasing, she was wondering if these names were hitting a little too close to home. "But I do like Mio, its simple."

Smiling upon the approval, she gave a nod. "I still need to think about... If we ever have to disguise ourselves as men, I'd like the name Daichi."

"Alright, my name will be Yui and, should we ever have to pose as men then my name will be Ichirou."

"Ichirou?" Kirita smirked at the curiosity in Sakura's voice, "Why that name? Doesn't it mean 'First Son'."

"I was my Chichi-ue's first daughter. So, instead of his first daughter, I'll be his first son." Sakura ahhed at the cleverness, nodding as she understood Kirita's choice.

It was then she spoke up again, "Do you… Still think of your parents?"

"Every now and then." She answered softly, "Have you ever heard of Fuubutsushi?"

The pink-haired girl immediately shook her head, "No, never. What does it mean?"

"The things—feelings, scents or images—that evoke memories or anticipation of a particular season. My family and I would spend a lot of time during before the harvest season; summer holds a lot of my favorite memories." With a long, drawn-out sigh, Kirita closed her eyes for a few minutes. "So, whenever I see things that remind me of summer, I think of my parents."

"It could be how particularly warm the sun is when it usually isn't in this type of season, but how it is in the summer. When I hear cicadas or seeing bright, fresh stalks of grain that have been harvested. I have memories of my father, mother, and my small siblings that never really got to live a long life. I always found it unfair that I have lived to be twenty-one and they never made it past the age of ten. My older brothers were only just a few years older, but they left no children… Nothing."

The heavy atmosphere and Kirita's obvious sadness had made the princess regret asking her about her family. Kirita had a deeper wound, which still hadn't fully healed just yet and she felt guilty for reopening it. "Gomen, Kirita."

"Its fine, Sakura. You have lost your parents as well, so I'm only assuming you wanted comfort in how to deal with the sudden loss. Its not easy not having your parent around, especially while you're young."

Sakura was glad that Kirita was the understanding type or else she would've continued kicking herself for bringing such a sensitive subject up. "Kirita, I really don't know where I would be without you. You've done so much for me…"

"You gave me a new chance at life, so the best thing I can do is make sure you live yours to the fullest." The princess couldn't help but smile upon Kirita's words. "But I have to ask," Sakura glanced towards Kirita, "why do you want to see Naruto-san?"

Biting down on her bottom lip, her gaze drifted towards the villagers that were going on with their daily lives. "Naruto… He's Shogun-sama's son, so wouldn't it make sense? Naruto would be able to keep me safe. I was supposed to marry him, so it would make sense, doesn't it?"

"We don't know what's to happen to that marriage alliance now." said Kirita, "Naruto is under no obligation to marry you anymore. There's no more Haruno clan members except you..." She didn't want to limit Sakura, wanting the princess to always think she had many choices but in this world… Women had little choices. "You think people will follow you if you suddenly just announce yourself as alive? You think men would respect you? Just fight for you because you're alive and Kizashi-sama's daughter? You have yet to _earn_ their respect. The only way you can do that is if you raise the Haruno clan from the ground up by _yourself_."

"What are you trying to say, Kirita?" She questioned.

Kirita stopped walking, pulling Yumi's reins to stop the horse from moving forward as well. Both their eyes locked, the purple eyes of the female warrior glowing with intensity. "If you're serious about avenging Kizashi and Mebuki-sama and taking back your home, your fiefs… You'll have to rise and gather an army of your own."

"How could I possibly do that?" Sakura questioned, "I can't… rule. I can't lead people. I don't even know how to shoot an arrow yet!"

"You'll have to learn. You have many followers in these lands, Sakura. But, in order for them to follow you and keep their faith in you, you have to prove that you can lead."

"So, you want me to become a Damiyo like my father?" There was an unwavering hesitance in her voice. It did strike her odd that Kirita believed in her this much yet she could trust that Kirita's faith in her amounted to something that was clearly incomprehensible to her. Maybe she saw something in Sakura that was good enough but Sakura could not just see it in herself just yet. "But I'm just one, single girl…"

" _One_ , single girl can change the world if she wanted. She'll have to work _twice_ as hard as any man or boy, but she _can_ do it. Tsunade-heika is our first Empress, and is she someone you doubt?"

Sakura couldn't fight against that. She remembered the woman as clear as day. Tsunade was unshakable. The earth trembled upon her arrival and people bowed at the call of her name. The princess did want to be a force like her, but… she still was unsure if she could ever achieve such acknowledgement and strength.

"If you're serious about vengeance, about becoming strong than this is the path you must take. Otherwise, I suggest you live a quiet life and forget everything you've ever known."

 **::**

It felt like hours since she stood out in the garden, resting under the cherry blossom tree that had bloomed so brightly over the past week. The petals would fall, one by one, which always felt odd to her since they just arrived. Cherry blossoms were quite the feeble thing, aren't they? Some withered too fast for her taste. Still, that was supposed to be the beauty of them; cherry blossom trees were so identical to humans.

"Hinata-hime."

Pale, white eyes had shifted away from the trees and towards the woman who called her name. "Oh, Ruyi-hime, you've come to visit?" Gathering herself to her feet, Hinata had adjusted her kimono so that she looked more presentable. She also bowed deeply but Ruyi shook her hands as if to dismiss the polite gesture, completely seeing it as unnecessary and far too formal

"Yeah, its business though." smiled the silver-haired girl, her azure eyes soaking in the Hyūga's warm smile. "How are you?"

"Chichi-ue has been pacing in the meeting chambers all day. He won't allow me in, so I'm worried. What did Tsunade-heika want to tell my father? It's… something important, isn't it? That's why you're here." Ruyi's smile had slowly faltered, giving Hinata suspicion that she was correct that there was something important that brought her here. "Did something happen?"

"Well, the Haruno clan was raided by Orochimaru six days ago." Unsure if the Hyūga princess heard the news or not, she decided to relay it to her. From the gasp and wide eyes filled with horror and shock, Ruyi could clearly see that Hinata had not heard the news after all.

"A-Are they… D-Did anyone…?" The questions couldn't even come out. The Hyūga was so flabbergasted by the news, she couldn't even barely speak.

"Well," Ruyi pressed her lips together in thought before prying her lips apart to speak again, "Kizashi nor Mebuki-sama were found alive, but Sakura-hime's body had not been found. So, there's hope that she may still be alive; my mother is counting on it."

Hinata was somewhat relieved by that, but she could not help but feel crestfallen upon the fact that Sakura's parents were killed. And no one had no idea if Sakura was alive or not. All of that information was enough to leave a person's heart heavy and their stomach tight with little hope.

"That's probably why… Chichi-ue seems so worried." Of course, she had no idea if that was the main reason why.

Even though the girl in front of her knew why Hiashi was actually in a state of fret, she couldn't bring herself to outright tell Hinata the truth. "I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you the news." Ruyi said, watching the girl shake her head as if telling her to not be sorry to relay such disheartening news.

"No, I'm glad you told me or else I would've never known. I'll keep Sakura-hime in my prayers. I hope she's alive and safe."

Ruyi smiled upon Hinata's kind words, "Hopefully the Gods will hear them. Oh, well, I better get going before I get in trouble. It was nice talking to you, Hinata-hime." With a slight bow, Hinata watched Ruyi whiz past her.

"Maybe I should talk to father… If he's worried about Orochimaru than I must help him." Despite her resolve, she couldn't find the courage to take a step forward and head into the direction of the meeting chambers. She was unsure what mood her father was in, and he liked for her to stay out of civil affairs as much as possible. In fact, the only person he would allow was…

"Onii-san!"

Upon the sight of her calm and calculating cousin, the princess moved forward. Running as quickly as her kimono would allow her through the grass and onto the pathway. "Hinata-hime?" He quickly turned to face her, watching her pant slightly. "What's the matter?"

Shaking her head, she greeted him with a smile. "Oh, I was wondering if you were going to see Chichi-ue... were you?"

"Yes, why? Do you need me to relay a message for you?" Neji asked, carefully observing her features. He knew Hinata had tendencies to hold back her worries, and Neji seemed more adamant to get to the bottom of her endless sea of uneasiness.

Unable to look her cousin directly in the eye, she shifted her pupil-less eyes towards the main house. "Uhm, well…" She trailed off, finding herself a bit in a pickle of wanting to ask him about Orochimaru and the Haruno clan and then if her father had anything he was stressing over. Should she be outright or should she slowly make her way there? Hinata was unsure. "Uh…"

"Is something bothering you, Hinata-hime?" Neji quickly asked.

"N-No! Its just—!" Fiddling with her thumbs, the princess shoulder's slowly drooped. "Chichi-ue seems stressed. I was hoping you could tell me why. Did… Did something bad happen?"

The black-haired male sighed in relief. He was almost worried that the princess felt sickly or much worse, but she had every right to be worried. "No, Hiashi-sama is just curious as to what will happen between Uzumaki and Haruno."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She questioned, revealing her genuine curisosity.

"Hiashi-sama wanted you to marry Naruto Uzumaki. Heh, not sure why. He's just a good for nothing loudmouth."

Her pale face had colored into a dark shade of red, her mouth agape in shock. "W-What?! Naruto-kun and I… m-married?!"

The boy was unsure why the news caused her to be so red in the face, but he understood her surprise. "But Shogun-sama decided that Naruto would marry Sakura-hime instead."

Even though Hinata was shocked by the news, it did make her heart flutter if only just a little. It made her smile as well, but the happiness she felt upon the news that Naruto was then supposed to marry Sakura had shrunk. "O-Oh…" She stuttered, disheartened.

"But we don't know what will happen now since Sakura-hime is nowhere to be found." He sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "Hiashi might push the marriage between you and Naruto at this rate since what would be the point in marrying Sakura-hime regardless if she's alive? There's will be no clans to unite."

Hinata was unsure how to respond. A part of her wanted to find some light of the situation, "Well, that doesn't mean that Sakura-hime can't give him an h-heir right. She might not have a clan behind her but she can still give N-Naruto-kun a son and some of her followers, r-right?"

"True, but I don't know. The whole situation is a mess." Neji's lips were a thin line as he looked away in thought. "Anyway, I'll need to see Hiashi-sama. He'll probably want a meeting to discuss on what to do."

"O-Oh, okay then! See you later, Onii-san." She gave a nod, watching Neji bow and then take his leave. Hinata sighed, her hand slowly reaching to rub the center of her chest. This was a lot of news to soak in and she didn't know how to feel about any of it.

Her body stiffened suddenly, her body whipping around and her eyes searching for something. "Who's there?!" She asked before activating her byakugan, the veins around her eyes protruding as she searched the garden but she could not find the strange presence that she felt. "Someone was definitely here…"

 **::**

"I am not some stupid bird that you guys can keep locked up in a cage!"

 _Crack. Snap. Shatter._

For the past hour, the redhead had been having a major tantrum. She was literally fuming, steam coming from the top of her head as she had tried to keep her anger under control but she couldn't keep a temperament even if it bit her in the rear. She was fed up with this. She was fed up of being treated like a docile child. If there was one thing Karin was not; it was a docile and a child.

She could heard the samurai guarding the door spoke of being relieved that she was inside and hadn't managed to get her way out. Boy, if they knew if she escaped then she was pretty sure they knew the whooping that was coming their way. "Yeah, you better be sighing out of fucking relief. If I get out, tch… You won't even see what's comin' to ya!" Just saying that had made her arm cock back, her fist ready to meet any mouth that was in her vicinity.

Just one mean hook.

 _Just one._

Oh, that would've made her day.

"Karin."

The voice was enough to hold her back, her arm falling limp as her eyes went from narrowing to wide in surprise. She immediately ran towards the door, that voice was coming from the other side. She hadn't even notice his chakra signature just then, she was so completely wrapped up in her anger. "Sasuke?!"

The redhead could hear him telling the samurai to open the door from him and they complied with hesitance and warning. Did they think she was going to hit Sasuke? She wouldn't. Even though there were many times she wanted to, Karin could never finding herself messing a hair on the Uchiha's head. Before the door opened, she took a step back and fixed her attire. She was sporting miko clothes, which meant they had taken her back the castle while she was on the job.

Sasuke entered the room, his eyes meeting Karin's briefly before she averted them out of defiance, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to see you." He simply said, watching the door behind him be closed shut. "Also, to figure out what you're up to."

"W-What?" Her hand immediately rose to her glasses, fixing them even though they weren't the slightest bit of crooked.

"You've been following me and other Uchiha members, haven't you?"

What was this? What she being…? "Sasuke, are you interrogating me?" She finally asks.

"Why shouldn't I? Why are you spying on me?" Even though he would have right to be angry, she couldn't see anywhere on his features that he was. In fact, she could barely tell what Sasuke was thinking at the moment. "What are you trying to find out?"

Of course Karin couldn't tell him. Instead, she tries to pretend that she didn't hear the question. "W-What?"

"Karin." His voice became stern, "I won't ask you again."

With a sigh, she folds her arms. "I heard you were getting married."

"So what?"

Karin's face flushes a beet red. She doesn't, not in the slightest, want to tell him why she was trying to figure out who he was going to marry. "That's it."

"That's it?" He echoed her question, remaining unsure of what she means. With a snort as they stood in silence, he watches her with mild amusement. "If you were so curious then why didn't you ask me? Why did you follow me?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't tell me." Oh no, she admitted to her own crime.

Caught.

So it was her. He only had a suspicions, but now he had all the proof he needed. "Its none of your business."

"I-I know! I was just… curious."

Silence fell between them, and it made Karin entirely uncomfortable. His onyx eyes were staring right at her and she tried her best to keep her eyes looking at everything that wasn't him. A part of her wanted to look at him, to soak in his features one final time before she would have to give him up yet she couldn't find it within herself to do it.

"Well then," He muses, "did you find out?"

Karin dares to look at him and then shakes her head. "I-I don't care anyway. Tch, why should i?"

"You cared enough to get caught and admit you were curious. Karin, now isn't the time to pretend."

The Uzumaki female felt completely chagrined by his cross examination. It was enough to infuriate her and enough to keep her at bay. "No." She answers quickly, "I didn't find out." Sasuke gives her a smirk before turning away from her and walking towards the door. "Wait! Don't let them keep me in here, Sasuke!"

"You'll be out soon enough." He looks over his shoulder, his arm resting on kusagani. "The Uchiha clan will be coming for you."

 **::**

"Now you look like a traveling woman."

There was something in Kirita's voice that suggested that she was proud of her work. She looked at Sakura once over as the princess was adjusting her sleeve. Sakura's high-priced kimono was burned after the suggestion that they leave no traces of her behind. She was reluctant to do it, finding it more sensible to sell it but it would create suspicions as to how she would've gotten such expensive fabric as Kirita suggested. Now she stood there, wearing a short-sleeve, salmon-colored kimono known as a kosode. It had white, large, solid stripe designs with a thin red and pink striped obi. Above the kosode and obi was a skirt, mainly known as a mo-baka. It was a stem-shade of green and neatly tied with a simple bow at her back.

Mo-bokama were usually worn over thigh-length kosode, so Sakura's legs were covered by the wide skirt, and allowed her movement to not be so restricted too. At the bottom of it, it was the same pattern as the kosode to give off the layered appearance without actually having to wear several layers of clothes.. It was spring, so the season was warm, but sometimes the chilly days of rain would come. Kirita didn't want Sakura to be overheated or lack warmth. The outfit was truly the perfect balance of what she needed to fight and to withstand the weather.

On her feet were the standard zori sandals, but due to Sakura's hatred for socks. Kirita was stuck having to wear them herself. The warrior chose a simpler route, wearing a gray jacket-like robe and white, pleaded nagabakama pants. Due to the cords of her pants, her sword was held significantly at her right side, which was uncommon due to the fact most swords on their left. However, Kirita was not your traditional samurai in the aspect. On her feet were white tabi socks and traditional zori sandals.

"It feels weird." Sakura spoke up, looking down at her outfit with trepidation. "What if nobody buys this? I mean... "

"There are traveling women everywhere. And we got a bunch of herbal medicine we picked to make it not look suspicious." Kirita said, not seeing the flaw of this. "And now you've got your bow and arrow so we can practice. How can anyone suspect us?"

Sakura pursed her lips, thinking more about it. With a sigh and a slight shrug, "I don't have a better idea… So, let's go."

Kirita had helped Sakura climb onto of Yumi, the skirt making it quite difficult for her to sit on the saddle with bows legs and so she had to sit sideways instead. The horse went into a gentle trollop with Kirita keeping up pace at her side. "So, we're on our way to Kyoto, right? You wanted to see Naruto-san, didn't you?"

"But if we're going to start from the ground up with me reclaiming the Haruno clan with me as Damiyo, wouldn't it be best to avoid him?"

"What? What do you mean?" Kirita asked.

"Well, I want to blindside Orochimaru. I don't want him to know its me. Maybe in order to do this, I might have to disguise myself as a man. That way, I can build my army and then make a pact with Orochimaru, like an alliance. I pretend to help him while rounding up other clans in allegiance in secret. And boom, we all storm Ota castle and I take back my home. Doesn't that sound like a good plan?"

"So you've been thinking about this, huh?" Sakura nodded hurriedly, showing her eagerness about avenging her family. "It'll take some time before you'll be strong enough to do that. This is a long term plan, this isn't something we can just accomplish overnight."

"It's worth the risk."

* * *

 **Dictionary** :

Sakura's traveler outfit is extremely similar to Sango's. She was the inspiration behind it.

Kirita's outfit is basically like a male's outfit, but I wanted it a bit more familiarized with Chizuru from Hakuouki.

 **Note:** Next chapter will have some action, some Sakura action! We will be getting a fighting princess., who won't take no shit!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

 **Notes:** Again, thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. Also, questions will be answered at the bottom of the page since the answers are pretty long.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

The First Cut

* * *

 **One year later…**

"Sakura, learning Kenjutsu is nothing like learning Kyūdō. You have to," with force, the dull side of the blade had hit the pink-haired girl's side, "pay," the blade slapped against the back of her thigh as Kirita smoothly spun out of Sakura's way, "attention!" And now resting against her shoulder, the sharp side of the blade near her neck, Sakura's eyes widen at just how quickly Kirita had struck her three times without even making a sound in her steps.

"I didn't even want to learn, but you told me I had to!" Sakura barked back, spinning from the opposite direction to meet her teacher/friend's eyes. Lilac and emerald had engaged in a heated battle, Kirita's once doting gazes were now of a serious trainer. "You think Orochimaru is going to recruit you if you can't even pick up a sword? It might not be your strong suit, but he will want you to be ambidextrous."

"..." Sakura's eyes menacingly looked down to the ground, her pride wounded as she immediately realized that a point was obviously said. Even though she had not completely mastered the bow and arrow, she was more than average; even close to proficient-but she had to learn how to use a sword, just good enough for defense.

"Daichi needs to step up his game or else he'll continue to be a wannabe samurai." Sheathing her sword, she had folded her arms and watched the Haruno adjust her grip on the katana's handle. Going back into a stand, which consisted of the sword being held in front of her with both hands gripping the handle, she gazed back at Kirita with a hard look of determination.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"No, you're not. Your grip is too tight." Kirita pointed, hearing the girl sigh of frustration due to what she deemed as minor and useless flaw to be pointed out. "I told you, when you hold the handle of the sword—"

"Almost as if you're holding a leaf. If you hold onto it too tightly, it might break your wrists when attacking and if you hold onto it too lightly then it'll fly out of your hands during battle, leaving you weaponless with death upon you.." She repeated monotonously as if she had heard it thousands upon thousands of time before.

"If you know then why must I repeat it? Do you know what's the age boys and even some girls train to become samurai?"

"Three." Sakura mumbled, quite embarrassed by the fact.

"Exactly. A child at the age of three can hold a katana better than you, Sakura. They don't even have a real weapon but a practice sword, but their handling and stance is damn near perfect. You have to pay attention; you're learning all of this at seventeen! Seventeen, for the love of Kami-sama*. You're competing against people who have been learning since the age of _three_. This is no time for games or mistakes."

"I know!" Sakura yelled out frustration, "It's just hard and every time I think I'm making progress, I just keep messing up."

Kirita's eyes softened, a sigh escaping her. "You told me to be hard on you. You told me to never make anything easy for you. This training is not close to being easy, Sakura. If it's not easy for you then it sure wasn't easy for anyone else."

"Not even… not even for you?"

"Not even for me. My brothers used to beat me up all the time. I have had so many close encounters with death with them that I hardly even feel the fear of being cut or close to a blade."

"So, your otou-san never taught you?" Sakura asks, curious as to why every time she mentioned training, Kirita never mentioned her father.

Kirita's demeanor had changed, the look in her eyes distance as if she was remember far back. "He was much like Kizashi-sama. Princesses didn't learn how to fight; princesses were meant to learn embroidery, reading and writing as well the good etiquette of being a good housewife. He loved and respected me, but he just did not see me as a fighter. He didn't think women _belonged_ on the battlefield. My oji-san* is the one who pushed for me to learn, and we kept it in secret."

"Wait, so when did you learn how to use a sword?" Sakura then questioned.

"Seven." She admitted, sighing. "I started just a couple years late; at age three, you're given a practice sword. And at seven, you're given the actual weapon. My ojii-san gave me a sword; this sword. He always said: "The battlefield would look more beautiful if there were women fighting. Although I am against women dying but I've seen some tough women in my days to know they can fight just as good as I can." He was a firm believer in that."

Sakura looked down at the katana in thought, "Women… We always have to fight to prove things, right? Men make the mess but leave it to us to clean it up."

The dark-haired girl chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "Sometimes. There are few men like my oji-san, but I don't mind us changing other men's mind. In fact, they'll have no choice but to…" Kirita rose a brow, "still, before we can change anyone's mind, you need to practice."

"Alright, alright."

"Start with the basics."

With a nod, Sakura grasped the hilt of her blade calmly this time. She pulled the sword back with both hands, the hilt positioned just above her shoulder, a routine of strikes had soon commenced swiftly as she attacked the invisible enemy. Her speed wasn't as untrackable as she had watched Kirita do, but she was beginning to think with a little more practice that she might be able to.

Again and again she would strike, swinging the katana as if attacking an invisible to her own beat. Kirita kept her eyes trained on her, the corner of her lips slowly rising in what looked to be out of pride. Sakura hadn't notice, imagining herself of the night of parents death and how she would've cut down Orochimaru with all her might. Alas, this time, she would not show any fear. She would strike to kill without hesitancy.

"Tomorrow, we'll become Daichi and Ichirou. We will infiltrate Ōta castle and meet up with the other recruits." said the purple-eyed girl, "Whatever is left of Sakura the Haruno princess, cannot come into the castle; what must remain is Sakura's will with Daichi's drive to serve and give his life to Orochimaru of the Yamata clan.."

 **o::**

The halls of Ōta castle were quiet. The only sound that seemed to echo were the new Lord's feet walking among the wooden floors. His arms limply at his side as he walked, his golden eyes looking forward as he would sometimes gaze at the paintings that hung upon the walls. Orochimaru sought no need to redecorate the palace after the siege. This wasn't the castle he wanted, but it would due until...

"Orochimaru-sama."

His walking ceased as he gazed down to the kneeling boy, who he later then signaled to stand. In front of him was a young man, eighteen years of age with one eye. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch after Orochimaru deemed it unsightly since the boy lost sight in it at a young age. Now, he only had one amber-colored eye, which was bright unlike his mischievous personality.

His hair was a blue-black, medium length; unkempt and messy. He never made the time to look himself studious like his other comrade. However, he was one of Orochimaru's favorites. He was strong, tactical and even though he did not agree with everything Orochimaru said, he gave some input that was always of use to him; so his boldness was not for naught.

"Hajime, have you been keeping tabs on the Hyūga clan?"

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he was starting to get comfortable after the respectful greeting. "I think they're starting to get suspicious. Not of you, but of being watched."

"There will be no need to spy on them any longer. If the Shogun keeps holding off an agreement for marriage, Hiashi will grow angry enough to retaliate. Then they will fight one another, and then that would be our chance to drop in."

Hajime's jaw set upon hearing the plan, his eye casting a glance at the wall to his right in thought. The look on his face was noticed by Orochimaru, who held back to question what made the young man obviously uneasy. It was a matter he would look into because he was sure that Hajime would lie instead if he did bother to ask. Something wasn't boding well, and Orochimaru didn't want to believe it was not in his favor.

A faint blur appeared, kneeling was another young warrior. "At ease, Kija." Orochimaru ordered, the magenta-hair boy nodding and then standing, his jade eyes glancing at Hajime in curiosity before turning his attention back to his lord.

"Ah, Orochimaru-sama," the younger boy cleared his throat, trying to ease the thick tension in the hall, "Suigetsu has made it upon himself to introduce the soldiers. Should I assist him?"

"No." He shook his head before darting his eyes towards Hajime, "Hajime should. After all, I need more swordsmen."

"Sugietsu is a swordsmen too. Shouldn't he be the one testing them?" The one-eyed male spoke up, his eye now looking to meet the eyes of the man who embodied a snake.

"Suigetsu is good at observation, and he likes to fight to the death. I would rather you do it. I don't want anymore bodies to clean up. I need all the men I can gather." Having nothing more to say, Orochimaru continued down the hall and left both boys standing there. Hajime's fingers ruffled through his hair before he grabbed a handful

"What's up with you, Hajime?" Kija finally asked, seeing as they were alone in the hall and Orochimaru was not within earshot any longer.

"Nothin'. Just… nothin'." There was a wistful tone in his voice as he turned, moving down the hall in the same direction Orochimaru went.

Kija hadn't bought Hajime's response at all, but he knew better than to press the matter, especially when they have a job up ahead. "If you and Suigetsu are taking care of the new recruits, what am I supposed to do?"

"I dunno. Take a nap or somethin'."

"Tch… I can at least watch."

"Yeah, do whatever you want."

Kija stood there, debating if following was even going to be worth his time. Hajime and Suigetsu always had all the fun because they were skilled with weapons. He was skilled too! His bare fists were weapons of their own, so why did they get special treatment? It might have something to do with them being older too. Instead of sulking, he followed after Hajime as the courtyard began to become filled with samurais of all ages.

"Listen up, punks." Standing in front of them was a young man with straight, white hair that hovered slightly above his shoulders with a light-blue tint to it at the end. His eyes were almond-shaped with bright purple irises. "The only people servin' under Orochimaru, is anyone that is approved by this asshole over here since my shitty ass opinion doesn't matter." He pointed towards Hajime, who stood with his arms crossed and his slant eye observing them all. His eye shifted its focus to Suigetsu upon the insult, but decided not to make a scene. "I'm not allowed to fight. Tch, I love cutting things too much. Who fights letting someone live? That's stupid," He mumbled the last bit.

Kirita, now dressed as Ichirou, had glanced towards Sakura, who was now Daichi instead. It was taking everything in the Haruno not to burst out in tears to be in front of her home after a year. After the attack of her home and death of her parents, she couldn't help but feel uncontrollably overwhelmed and like a stranger within her own land. She chewed on her lip, trying to fight any tear that dared threaten to fall. It must've made her look angry because she already caught the attention of Hajime.

"You," his finger pointing directly act her.

"M-Me?" Her eyes quickly looked towards him, widening a fraction as he shifted everyone's attention to her. She hadn't noticed the tone of her voice was at its normal level and not the tone she and Kirita practiced to sound more manly. Quickly clearing her throat, she fixed her voice. "Have I done something wrong?"

"That look in your eyes just then…" He trailed, letting silence linger for just a few minutes longer, "Why do you want to serve Orochimaru-sama?"

The question was something Kirita had warned her about. She could even feel those lilac eyes on her, curious if she would remember what they rehearsed "Orochimaru-sama's family… My father was a retainer* of theirs. He served them diligently; the Yamata have nothing but good to my family and I wish to return the favor."

Smirking, Hajime's head shifted to a curious tilt, "What's your name?"

"Kita, Daichi."

"Kita, Daichi… Huh,? What an interesting name. Alright then, Daichi, _if_ your father served Orochimaru-sama then let me see what he has taught his son."

Sakura did not expect to be put on the spot so soon. "I'm more of an archer but I can give you swordplay, if you want."

"An archer? Interesting." He mused, unsheathing his sword swiftly out of its scabbard. "Then how about this then, if you leave a mark on me, you're the first one I'll let join to serve under Orochimaru-sama."

Nodding, she had set her bow and let the arrow slide against it, pulling back the string. Her aim was steadily on him as he prepared to slice the arrow once it was within range. Sakura knew that firing it head-on wouldn't be a wise decision, and so she decided on something better. Tilting back slightly, so that she was aiming towards the sky, she made bow's string stretch as much as she could pull the arrow back. After a few decisive minutes, she let the arrow fly into the sky.

"Huh?" Suigetsu commented, "What the hell is that? Tch, were you even trying to aim at him?

"...I had high hopes for you, Daichi. I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish, but—Shit!" A thin, downward line appeared on Hajime's face. The cut bled instantly as she smirked, while is shocked face immediately turned into intrigue.

"As an archer, I discovered it's best to not let your enemy know exactly where you're aiming." Sakura replied, her voice quite smug as she watched the blood was now smeared across his face with a swift motion of his thumb.

"She got you, Hajime! Ha! Better hope that doesn't leave a scar." Suigetsu teased, taking a sip of water from his cup. "Hey, where are the servants? I'm still thirsty!"

"Heh, you got me. Head to the barracks, kid." Hajiime tilted his head towards the direction as Sakura nodded and glanced to Kirita, who had sneakily gave her a thumbs up.

Sakura went away from the line, hearing praises from some of the other samurai. A rough slap on the back that jolted her forward, but leaving a nervous smile on her face as she inwardly screamed by the string.

"Well, we would have more servants if you stopped killing them, Suigetsu." Sakura frown upon the words, wondering if any of them were servants that served her family. Her hand maidens… were they gone too?

"Alright, what's your name?" Suigetsu pointed.

"Nakamura, Goro."

"Big fella, aren't ya? Shit, I'd hate to fight you on the battlefield." The white-haired boy mumbled, watching his cup get filled to the brim before taking another sip

Once Sakura reached the barracks, she had laid down on the less-than-comfortable futon. She went into a coughing fit after all the dust that had flew into the arrow when she laid down.

"H-Hey!"

The voice startled her, Sakura immediately sat up to see a head full of magenta hair, peeking through the door. Curious, Sakura tilted her head, "Uh, you can come in, y'know."

"Ah, right." Clearing his throat, he stood upright and walked in. His chest was puffed up, trying to walk as if he had an air of confidence despite the meek demeanor he displayed a few seconds prior. She couldn't help but smile at this as he approached her. "So, I saw you cute Hajime-kun. Nice work!"

"Thanks. Not to be arrogant, but I've been working hard on perfecting my skills. I knew the result was gonna be worth it." She said without the slightest bit of modesty.

He wasn't offended neither, much to her surprise. He had given her a friendly grin, "I'd like to see if my fist are fast enough to catch your arrows."

"Your fists?" Sakura questioned.

"I don't really use weapons. I'm pretty strong on my own right. I'm more a fist fighter than a sword-user." Kija explained.

"Really? That's pretty neat. You should show me!" She hadn't see much of martial arts since she visited her grandfather in China. She always wanted to learn Kung fu.

"Those two are still fighting?"

"Yeah, that Ichirou guy is no joke."

Kija and Sakura glanced at one another upon hearing the conversation between the two men who just entered the barracks. Sakura immediately went to her feet, running out of the barracks and into the courtyard to see Kirita and Hajime locked in a heated had blocked each and everyone one of Kirita's strikes while stepping back, now on the defense. Kirita slashed repeatedly and relentlessly, pushing him back further as all the men standing in the courtyard separated whenever the two got too close. Hajime took a step back, now out of her range and then charged forward, letting their swords clash as sparks went flying through the air.

Repeatedly, whenever one or the other had strike, they met each other's blade until finally Hajime added enough force behind the attack to have the sword thrown from Kirita's hands and onto the ground. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Ichirou, was it?"

Sakura could tell that Kirita felt sour about the loss. The way she set her jaw and picked up her sword rather roughly before sliding it back into its saya*. "Yes, my name is Ichirou."

Suigetsu then hummed in delight, "I'd like to fight you. That's the longest I've ever seen Hajime fight someone other than me."

"Not today, Suigetsu." Hajime warned before glancing back at the lilac-eyed warrior. "What's your family name?"

"Yukimura." Kirita answered with a straight face, "May I go to the barracks now?"

She was given a nod from the one-eyed warrior, who had watched her join Kirita and Kija. She glanced at Kija suspiciously, but was given a look from Sakura that obviously read 'he's alright'.

"Your sword prowess is amazing, uh, Ichirou-san." Kija praised, "Where did you learn such technique?"

"My oji-san." She answered, placing her sword next to her futon beside Sakura's, which near the end by the door. Even now when Sakura had a much better chance of protecting herself, Kirita was still cautious.

"He must be a great fighter!" Even though it was clear that Kija wanted conversation, his naivety and his child-like wonder could not help Kirita out of her funk.

Sakura noted it and didn't want the boy to be hurt should Kirita speak out of malice. "Uh, Kija-san... Your name, its foreign, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes! My mother was from another land Not sure where, my father never speaks of her. She named me though!" Fiddling with his hands, he noted that 'Daichi' was very attentive to him where Suigetsu and Hajime would've ignored him by now, somewhat similar to Ichirou's detached behavior.

"Kija-san, if you don't me asking, where is Orochimaru-sama?" Sakura asked, thinking the question was innocent enough.

"Ah, he's busy… right now." She watched as he sighed, "He has a meeting he must attend to."

"A meeting? Ah, I suppose Damiyo are in a lot of meetings." Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, he had to meet with his retainers now that he is completely settled." Those words didn't comfort her in the slightest, in fact they infuriated her. She wondered if any of her father's retainers had surrendered to Orochimaru since the siege.

Kija then gave a small smile and slight bow, "Well, I should be leaving now. Tomorrow and for the next two weeks, you'll be training and then we'll split you in several teams so you can go patrol the villages. There's been riots and bandits causing havoc, Orochimaru-sama expects us to keep the peace."

"It was nice meeting you, Kija-san." Sakura forced her smile, waving her hand.

"Goodbye Daichi-san, Ichirou-san." Kirita and Sakura watched the boy turn and leave. Closing the door quietly behind him as the two sighed.

"Training is going to be grueling, isn't it?"

"Of course."

"Good job, Daichi and Ichirou. That Hajime guy sure is arrogant but both of you put him in his place." came a husky voice loud enough for everyone in the barracks to hear.

Both Kirita and Sakura gazed up at the tall man, who had to at least be 7'0" with his brown hair pulled in a high ponytail and messy fringe. "Ah, you're Kenji, right?"

"That's right!" He gave a hearty laugh, "I wanted to crush that little bug so bad, but I heard he was one of Orochimaru's lil' minions."

"He is quite cocky, but he isn't so bad." Sakura shrugged, "He's talented, I can give him that."

"Pfft," Kenji rolled his eyes, "talented? Alright, I guess I can admit to that too."

Kirita couldn't help but crack a smile, watching as other samurai had gathered around to talk to them. It reminded her back at home, watching the samurai come together and converse. Although the situation wasn't ideal, for all these men willingly chose to follow Orochimaru, she was glad there was a sense of camaraderie.

The main thing that made her happy was how Sakura easily spoke to them. They all seemed drawn to her, curious of this 'Daichi', who was good with a bow and arrow. All of them seemed enthralled and finally, Sakura had company that wasn't her. Deep down, she wanted to warn Sakura to not get attached. After all, their whole mission would jeopardize these relationships she would form with them. In the end, they were just as much of an enemy as Orochimaru.

"Oi," Kirita piped up, "instead of all this chatter, we need to rest up for tomorrow. Training starts and we have to rise up with the sun."

"Oh, you're a killjoy, Ichirou!" Kenji complained in a teasing way, "But, I heard that Suigetsu guy is really gonna lay it on us."

"You see how big his sword is?" Another man piped up, "How can such a small guy lift that thing?"

"I dunno, but I would like to see it in action."

 **::**

The moon had fully ascended, stars twinkling as they scattered across the deep, deep blue hue that was the sky. Naruto had sat in the moonlight, the only light source in his room as he had blown the candles out hours ago. He kept his window open to gaze out in thought since sleep had yet to come and take over him.

It was one of those days where the young samurai felt completely restless, the first thing he would think about when he attempted to close his eyes was how his year long search had amounted to nothing. In his head, he just kept thinking of the small girl he first met under the cherry blossoms.

He had no idea what the girl he had fallen in love with all these years had grown to look like, and so only her five-year-old self was the only image that could come to mind. It dawned on him how childish it was to be in love with a girl he hadn't seen since then, but the letters written between them was forever kept on his desk; being read over and over as the feeling of happiness when he first was given a reply had slowly numbed to nothing but nostalgia.

He couldn't get excited looking at her letters like he used to. Now it just made him sad. It made him think that those were the last thing he would ever receive from her.

"Naruto?"

He remained still, hearing the shoji door slide open softly before being closed after his mother had stepped into the room. Her heart ached watching the lonely boy be illuminated by the moonlight. His smile had such sadness to it after the rescue mission seemed to have gone completely nowhere.

"Naruto," She called him again, "you should get some rest. You have to work on the development of the garrison tomorrow."

"I can't sleep." He admitted, knowing that his mother wasn't going anywhere until she talked to him.

Kushina had walked closer until eventually kneeling at his side. "Thinking about Sakura-hime? Look, Naruto, she might still be alive and-"

"I know she's alive, 'kaa-san." He interrupted, his eyes betraying his emotions. "If she were… If she were gone then I would know."

Slowly, she rose her hand to rub the side of her son's head. "I know how much Sakura-hime means to you, Naruto. That's why I can't tell you to give up on her, but you have to live. You can keep being stuck."

"I can't move on until I know that she's alive. I can't." Stubborn as usual, but on this matter, Kushina could forgive him. "If 'tou-san were missing and you had idea where to search for him, you would never give up. You would never just.. just move on."

"You're right. I wouldn't be able to, but I would have no choice but to live." Kushina's violet eyes had glanced away from her son and towards the stars. "I would have to live for you, Naruto. Even though each day would be painful and I would be at unease, I would have to bear it all for you; my boy, my son."

Naruto's eyes slowly gazed at his mother, seeing her pale skin glowing from the bright moonlight.

"Sakura-hime, I don't know what's in her heart or what she could possibly be thinking right now." She smiled softly, "But if she's anything like Mebuki-chan then I know she's putting up a hell of a fight, 'ttebane. So, Naruto, you have to do the same."

There was a sense of ease from her words, letting his shoulders relax as he laid his head upon her shoulder. "I'm… I'm getting tired, 'kaa-san."

"Its about time you head to bed."

After helping the now drowsy young man to his feet, she walked him steadily towards his bed and tucked him in. "Tsk tsk." She shook her head as her smile grew large, "You're turning eighteen this year and you're acting like a child." Hearing his light snore, she had moved some his blond locks away from his face. "But that's okay, you'll always be my little boy."

"Babying him, Kushina?" Peering over her shoulder, she rose a brow at her husband that stood by the room door. "I was hoping to beat you to it, but now he's already asleep."

Kushina stood and walked towards him, "My motherly instincts told me that if I didn't hurry up, his father would best me. And I can't have you besting me!"

"Why does consoling our son have to be a competition as well?" He asked, the corner of his lips upward as he kept his gaze on his wife. "Either way, I hope he does his work tomorrow or else he wouldn't have done enough deeds for a promotion."

His wife raised her hands to shush him, pushing him out of the room and closing the door. "What do you mean? Mikoto-chan's kid is Lt. General! Why isn't Naruto good enough for a promotion just yet?"

"Sasuke is a ninja as well as a samurai. He has more of a workload than Naruto. It should be the reverse considering Naruto is next in line to inherit the Shogun title. I've been too easy on him." Minato sighed, his arms akimbo as he and his wife walked down the hall of the castle.

"Naruto is only seventeen, he'll be eighteen this year. He has much to learn, and you have plenty of enough time to teach him. Besides, you'll be around for a long time. He shouldn't be rushed, 'ttebane!"

His wife's enthusiasm never dimmed, and Minato was glad at how much she put up a fight for their only child. "I know, I know." With another sigh, he looked ahead at the dimly-lit hall. "Naruto is a great fighter; he is very strong and adaptable when it comes to a naginata and spear. He's accomplished a lot for his age, so I'm not disappointed…"

"But you want him to be able to accomplish more." Kushina finished his sentence and received a firm nod in confirmation.. "He's just lacking the drive right now."

"You mean, he is still heartbroken about Sakura-hime." Minato watched her eyes lower, their confident sheen lessening upon the mention of the Haruno princess. "I wish I could help find her, but I don't have the slightest clue of where she could be or if she's alive."

"Not only that, Hiashi is growing impatient and appalled." Minato nodded, "He thinks we don't think Hinata-hime is good enough for Naruto, and even if we found Sakura-hime, it would be as if we thought she was better than her and thought a clanless princess was better than being united with the Hyūga."

Kushina had hit the nail right on the head. Minato had been mulling over what he was going to do the past year, especially since his son's search ended up being fruitless. "At this rate, Hiashi will not hold on longer; there will be war if I don't do anything about it."

"Naruto would never agree to it unless he knew for sure that Sakura-hime was…" The woman trailed, unable to finish the sentence.

"I know. The last thing I want is for us to battle anyone that is not Orochimaru. We need all the allies we can get."

 **::**

The whole week was filled with relentless training; their bodies feeling sore to the bone. Suigetsu was not going to be as lenient as they had hoped. Sakura and Kirita had managed to find relief in a hot spring, discovering what hours were it usually empty so they hadn't meant any of the other samurai during their baths. Certain groups were given duty to patrol while others held the castle down. Sakura was unhappy that she had to stay within the castle and Kirita was given duty to patrol.

"I'm so sick of training! If I see another training dummy, I'm going to lose it!" She snapped, making sure that no one was around as she unleashed her anger on the unmoving, samurai armor-cladded dummy. She had given it a swift kick in the chest, letting straw fall to the ground.

"Uh, Daichi-kun, are you alright?"

Immediately, she whipped around to face Kija; her heart pounding less than it was minutes ago in fear that Hajime or Suigetsu heard her. "Ah, Kija-kun…" She said in relief, "I'm just sore is all. All this training really isn't making me feel good, but I know it's necessary."

"The reason why Orochimaru-sama wants you guys to train so hard, is because we're going into battle tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? It's only been a week, Kija-kun! We're not ready!" More like, Sakura was not ready to go out into a battlefield just yet.

"I don't know if you know this, but Orochimaru-sama cannot let such opportunities go by. He has to regain strength, and he can't do that if he doesn't make a move." Kija's explanation didn't seem to justify anything in Sakura's eyes, and it surely didn't make the least bit of sense. "The real war will begin is when Orochimaru-sama marches to the capital, but we'll have to work our way."

"He wants to… become Shogun?" She questioned, wondering what the man's true objective was.

"Uh, no. That's silly title to Orochimaru-sama. He wants to kill the Shogun, take his lands, and then work his way to emperor. Then, all the lands will be united under him. Orochimaru, the Great Unifier, he will be named. Never again would the Yamata clan be so small and clouted."

Her green eyes were wide as she soaked everything in, her expression wanted to shift to pure horror but she knew she couldn't reveal such a face to Kija. Instead, she tried to fight her expression, putting on a fake smile. "Wow, Orochimaru-sama… has such high goals…. I hope… w-we can help him achieve them."

The boy nodded in agreement. "Right. You're a good archer, Daichi-kun. I'm sure you'll be there right with us and stronger than you are today!" How could he be so cheerful for such an evil plan? Was Kija really that brainwashed that Orochimaru was a good person? "Ah, anyway, I have to go, Daichi-kun! Keep training, it's going to be a long day tomorrow!" Sakura bitterly waved back, sighing once the boy was out of her sight.

"What am I going to do…? I'll have to kill innocent people tomorrow. People that don't deserve to die…"

"Haaaa, we're back!"

Kenji's voice was loud enough for everyone in the training yard to hear. As he strutted over, she could see a disgruntled Kirita among the group of men. Seeing her angry face was enough to make Sakura snort as they slowly approached her. "Daichi-kun, you shoul've been there!" Wrapping his large around around the dark-haired girl's shoulder, he pulled her close and bent forward so that their faces were pressed against each other's side by side. "Ichirou-kun had the girls swoonin'."

"Ahhhhh~ Ichirou-kunnnnnnn~" Another samurai said, teasing as he reenacted the hordes of girl that watched their patrol. His hands were clasped together, his eyelashes fluttering as he imitated their high pitched voices. "He's _soooooo_ handsome~"

Kirita's eyes averted, a shade of red tinting her cheekbones as Sakura went into a fit of laughter with her hands clutching her stomach. "I'm pretty sure they would've said the same about you, Daichi-kun. Most women go gaga over that feminine-type of look. You both have soft features, I'm sure they would've been screaming your name too."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Sakura couldn't calm her laughing fit. "Don't worry, Kenji-kun. You're handsome in your own right."

"I know!" Kenji pouted playfully, batting his eyelashes towards Kirita. "You should've introduced me to some of them instead of letting them fawn all over you."

"If I could've pushed them towards you, I would've did it." Kirita said dryly, her eyes still averted.

The man sucked his teeth, letting the girl go from his tight grip. "I'm the tallest man among you all, but your face had them glued to you! It didn't matter if you told them to look up. A pretty face beats height."

The swordswoman merely rolled her eyes and made her way towards the barracks, "I'm tired. I can't deal with anymore of this."

Sakura had watched her and then looked to Kenji, "You better start training, Kenji-kun. We're heading out for battle tomorrow and you need to work on your judo!" She lectured before jogging backwards and running after Kirita.

"I will…" Kenji sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "not… I'm gonna get me something to eat."

"Ichirou," Sakura called out her name, watching as she was taking off her armor to prepare herself for rest. "We're heading out for battle tomorrow. What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean what are you going to do? You'll have to fight." The girl said as if it what would be happening was simple. Just completely clean-cut. "We'll be fighting against the Oshino clan, Kenji told me during patrol."

"...Aren't they innocent people? I don't want to kill people Orochimaru has a vendetta against. They are usually undeserving of it, I mean… After all he and his people did..."

" _Nobody_ is innocent, Daichi. Orochimaru doesn't like the new Damiyo of the Oshino clan because the man, who came into power, killed his father. His father was an ally of Orochimaru's clan and since he is dead, I guess Orochimaru believes the land and that guy's death belongs to him."

"How could someone kill their own father?!" Sakura questioned, "For power? I mean, that's too cruel."

"That's the way this world works. Loyalty is hard to come by." Kirita sighed as she adjusted her armor, "People say they follow the way of Bushidō, but they are just liars."

Three hours before dawn, Hajime had led the troops towards Mino province. Sakura, Kirita, and the rest of the new recruits had to settle for walking while the officers that served before them were given horses. Much to Sakura's sadness, she knew these horses were Haruno bred. Other than that, she felt completely scared of what was happening before them. Her eyes stared solemnly towards the ground before looking up as the sun began to rise. Hues of red and orange had filled the sky as the sun ascended as they walked the vast open fields, trees seemingly far but yet close.

"Is there your first battle, Daichi?" Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes immediately looking up to Kenji, who must've noticed how uneasy she was. "Its okay if it is."

Biting down on her bottom lip, she gave a slight nod. "Yeah, it is."

"I remember my first time in the battlefield." He sighed, his head tilted back in thought. "You can never forget it." Sakura's eyes stayed trained to his face, a hint of sadness in his features. "Severed limbs and broken corpses everywhere, the mud looks as if it made of blood, and the smell... The smell of carnage everywhere."

Other samurai had listened on their conversation, Kirita even glancing towards Sakura as her green eyes were wide. "You think you're in a nightmare, and you become a shell of who you are. You do anything to live. You would choose anything as a weapon if it meant you would come out alive. It changes you, and it haunts you."

Kirita's gaze shifted away from the princess, recalling her own experiences. "How.. How do you become yourself again?" The desperate plea in her voice was enough to almost make her shed tears. "How do you… go back in your body and stop being a shell?"

"I can't tell you. Its different for everyone. Some people come back the same, and some people change… forever."

From the distance, there was a tall tower, which made Hajime halt his horse and turn to face them. "We're at the watchtower, which means if we conquer this then we'll easily make it to Inabayama Castle." He said, looking at all of them. "All the medics and extra men will stay here and make camp. We'll also be receiving reinforcement from the Wakahisa clan, so I want you to stay here and lead them to us."

Suigetsu seemed eager for battle, the grin on his face made that all the more apparent. Sakura would've guessed that Kija would be uneasy, but he seemed unfazed as well. Was she the only one feeling nervous? Almost as if she wanted to turn around and run back, so that she didn't have to do this. She almost wanted to tell Kirita to forget revenge. Yet, there was something stopping her from being a coward.

She worked her way here, and so what would be the point in turning around and going back? She had to this. Sakura had to prove to herself that she was stronger than she was back then. She was not a helpless princess anymore.

Hajime unsheathed his sword raising it into the air as he turned away from them with his horse. "Alright men, today we conquer Inabayama castle and all of Mino province. We fight to day and we die for the Yamata clan!" All of them raised their weapons, cheers erupted into the air as the morale of the army had increased ten fold. "Charge!"

And with a running start, they headed towards the watchtower where Oshino forces were waiting for them. Sakura stood back, being an archer meant distance was in her best interest. She had wished she had a horse to make it much easier, but due to her being just a lowly recruit, she couldn't obtain it just yet.

Narrowing her eyes, she slid bow from her shoulder and prepared an arrow. She looked for which samurai proved to be a threat and once she caught her target, she made to shoot. Before Sakura could draw on the string of her bow, a sphere of air came rushing forward with the tenacity of a minute whirlwind and knocked her to the ground. Her quick instincts had her roll to the side patches of earth. She turned over and saw a a medium crater beside her.

Luckily she held tight to her weapon, instead of standing, she crouched low and searched for whoever sent the attack. Feeling a strong presence from behind, she barely managed to dodge as it moved swiftly. The princess spun around as what looked to be a larger than normal dog made a pass and sliced into her shoulder. The cut seemed superficial, but it had hurt like hell.

"W-What the hell?" Sakura hissed, gritting her teeth as she knew she couldn't stop the bleeding from her hands since she had to be prepared to attack again. Holding tightly to her weapon, Sakura tried to find a place of safety while also keeping her guard. She found Kirita, who seemed to be in a heated battle with someone, whose face she could not see from this distance.

As she was about to enter the forest, which seemed close to her at this distance, a form blocked her path and a powerful gust of wind pushed her back into the clearing. Sakura turned her back to avoid the rush of air that left her breathless.

"You're not going anywhere." A voice said to her, but she could never find that person quickly enough to see their face. Another gale of air struck her again, knocking her to the ground.

"Dammit!" She huffed, unable to take much more of this due to her own frustrations. Lowering herself on one knee, Sakura decided not to play by her enemies' rules. Stringing her bow, she took and a pink aura surrounded her boy. Sakura's eyes widened, never witnessing the act before, but decided not to dwell on it, she watched as the arrow lit up the clearing, bathing the area in pale, pink.

Most of the samurais were distracted by the sudden color, looking around confused of what was happening. Once Sakura discovered where the wind-user was, she abruptly turned in that direction and released her arrow.

The male screamed in pain as the arrow embedded itself in his shoulder, burning at his skin as it pierced through. The smell of burning flesh filled Sakura's nostrils, alarming her and making her run further down the battlefield. Around her, people had gone back to fighting, no longer mystified of that strange light that appeared minutes ago. The screams and crunches of hacked limbs and armor being pierced by weapons had rung in her ears. Blood was everywhere, and it seemed to rain down as long as she ran.

Kenji was right, It did feel like she was in a nightmare. Unsure of what she had done minutes ago, she steady her arrows and fired at any enemy within sight. She couldn't find it in herself to aim had places that would bring imminent death, and so she settled for places where she was sure they would live after the removal and some medical treatment.

"So you're the one who hurt, Kiba, huh?!"

Quickly turning, she was greeted by an angry pair of blue eyes. Her heart tighten in its rib cage for a second, feeling as she had seen those eyes before. A wave of recognization had overwhelmed her, but her fear for her life pushed back those feelings. Drawing back her arrow, she aimed it for the blond-haired boy.

"So, what of it? This a battle." Sakura replied haughtily, her head tilted back in an arrogant angle.

With gritted teeth, the boys grip on the spear had tightened. "You're going to regret it."

"I doubt it." As they stood in their standoff, both of them remained glued to one another before he charged forward, Sakura fired her arrow and then prepared another. The boy had effortlessly twirled the weapon in his hand and slashed the arrow straight down the middle and continued charging forward.

Sakura fired another before throwing the weapon to the ground and unsheathing her sword. Like the first arrow, he destroyed it but had yet to prepare himself for Sakura's suddenly released her sword. It whipped through the air a little more than a silvery blur, the blonde caught each blow with a reckoning force.

He unleashed a powerful strike from above and it was too much for her skill to counter, and she stumbled. Seeing the opening, Sakura's foot connected with the center for the boy's check. Whatever the source of her sudden tremendous strength, it was enough to create a wet crunch when the kick connected. The boy stumbled across the ground with Sakura breathing heavily, surprised she had managed to do something like that.

 _"You think you're in a nightmare, and you become a shell of who you are. You do anything to live. You would choose anything as a weapon if it meant you would come out alive. It changes you, and it haunts you."_

Kenji's words rung inside her head, the girl stumbling backwards. _'No, no! I don't want to change…'_

She gasped when a trail of blood slipped out the corner of the male's mouth. Her eyes staring intensely at it as he wiped it away but kept a smirk. "Wow, that was pretty strong." Even though he was slightly heaving, he acted as if nothing happened. As if her kick wasn't as devastating as she thought it was.

Sakura watched the tip of his naginata drip up to point straight at her. It looked like he wasn't going to give. He wasn't going to give her a peace of mind… She didn't want to kill him. He wasn't her enemy. Unable to find the will to continue, with a smooth motion lifted her sword and slid it home in hr saya. "I don't want to fight you."

"Whaddya mean you don't want to fight me?!" It was as if he was offended by her mercy.

Her face scrunched up sourly. "You're an idiot." She huffed, turning away from him and walking forward.

"Hey, come back here! W-What are you walking away for?" He shook his fist at her retreating form, confused as to who stops a fight in a middle of a battle.

"I said I don't want to fight you. Go fight somebody else!" She yelled as she ran forward.

"...What the hell is that guy's deal?"

"Naruto." Looking over his shoulder, he had smiled upon the sight of the person.

"TenTen, did something happen?" Naruto questioned, wondering why the ninja appeared in the middle of a battlefield.

"Hai! I have some important news." The brunette smiled, "I think we found Sakura-hime."

* * *

 **Dictionary** :

Kami-sama - God

Oji-san - Uncle

Retainer: Samurai retainers are elite expert swordsmen. They assist in battle and offer counsel to Damiyo.

Saya - A katana's sheath

 **Notes:**

Hmmmmmmmm, there might be another love triangle afoot. Poor Hajime though, I don't know if Hinata will ever return his feelings.

Some backgrounds are based on actual samurai's because they were pretty badass and I like symbolism. If you're curious as to who I based on who then you can ask. c:

Irishwriter - I doubt I'm ever gonna get into it in the story, but I like the idea of Minato as being a person in power. To me, he is benevolent enough for people to trust and also tough and firm when it comes to war. Even though he's kind, he really suited his Hokage position and so I gave him the Shogun position. Its more of the Namikaze being a low born clan and Mianto rose through the ranks. And I can see Tsunade trusting him with such a position since most Shogun were chosen by the Emperor.

Naruto is inheriting the Shogun position, and since Minato was a Damiyo for his clad, Naruto also technically is an inherited ruler of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans since Kushina is technically in a position of power since she was princess and the elders are no more since the war. Karin is a princess, but she is a princess because Kushina named her one to pass on the bloodline to keep them marrying positions of power.

Naruto is a Captain, a position higher than chief. This is why Minato worries but look how long Naruto was a Genin? He's always worried about other things.

Samurai ranks are usually ( from highest to lowest )

General

Lt. General

Captain

Chief

Sakura as Daichi has the chief rank along with Kirita as Ichirou under Yamata.

Hajime is General along with Kija and Suigetsu - there's never just one general due to how large the armies and fiefdom were.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

 **Notes:** Uwahh, thanks for the reviews. Sorry this chapter is so short! This was all I can manage to cough out because I've been busy the past week. Next chapter should be longer, and more NS to satiate our needs.

As always, thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews ( again ). They honestly make my day. Also, questions will be answered at the bottom of the page.

There's a poll on my profile. I have brainstormed a lot for a second NS fic, and so I'll let you guys choose on which one is best.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Lost and Found

* * *

In the middle of Mino province, at safe distance from the watchtower of the Oshino fiefdom, Naruto as well as the other reinforcement had rested at the camp. Both sides had retreated when the sun had fallen, finding no use in battling in the night where sight wasn't in their favor. Naruto paced in his tent, Sasuke, Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru resided in the tent as the wounded brunet known as Kiba had just finished having his wound cleaned and dressed.

"Just what the hell was that pink light?" Ino questioned, "It was so weird."

"It felt oddly warm too." Choji commented, "What… What kind of power is that?"

Shikamaru, standing with his arms akimbo, shook his head. "I don't know what the hell that was, but it's dangerous that Orochimaru has something like that on his side. I know that for sure."

"The guy that made that happen was weird too." Naruto furrowed his brows, hand rubbing his chin.

"Didn't that guy kick your ass?" Sasuke spoke up, a teasing smirk on his face as he watched the blond whip his head around to give him a scowl.

"He caught me off guard!" Naruto yelled defensively, "Not just that, he was pretty strong," Rubbing his chest, he could remember the doctor telling him that his ribs were fractured and he should take it easy. "Even so, he just wanted to stop fighting so suddenly…"

All of them looked towards Naruto, wondering the same question. Why did he not want to fight? "Do you think that maybe they are a ninja pretending to side Orochimaru?" Choji asked.

"I don't care what kind of power or who that asshole was and what he wants! _This_ hurts like a bitch!" Kiba said, pointing to where the arrow pierced him. "It felt like it was going to sear a hole through me!"

"To be honest, didn't you attack him first? You brought that on yourself." Shikamaru shrugged, "I can't say I honestly feel sorry for ya."

"Thanks Shikamaru. _Thanks_ for that, when we were in the middle of the battlefield fighting Yamata samurai. Thank you _so_ _much_ for saying that." The sarcasm was dripping to the extreme as his slit, canine-like eyes remained storming with anger.

"Anyway, where is TenTen?!" Slamming both his hands on the desk, Naruto was growing anxious. "TenTen said she found Sakura-hime."

"What?!" Ino and Choji said in a unison.

"How is that possible?" Ino asked, "We searched for her for a whole year and had no leads."

"I don't know either, that's why I wish she would hurry up." It was clear that Naruto's anxiety was coming from the fact that he was happy that Sakura was deemed alive.

Sasuke remained unsure though, "I wouldn't get too happy." He said, resting his arm lazily against Kusanagi. "Who knows, it might be a fake."

"A fake?" Naruto rose a brow, "Who would be brave enough to fake being her? Why would they want to be targeted by Orochimaru?!"

"Although Naruto has a point, I'll have to agree with Sasuke." Shikamaru sighed, "TenTen might of found her discreetly, and if it really is Sakura-hime then we shouldn't draw too much attention to her."

Everyone stilled upon hearing the tent's flap being open, walking through was Kakashi with a rather surprised expression. "Did I interrupt something?" He innocently asked.

Ino smiled and shook her head, "No way. You came just in time, Kakashi."

His one, visible eye had given them an eye-smile before closing the distance. "I was wondering if any of you saw of the face of the one who created that light earlier."

"No, we didn't." Sasuke sighed, "All we know is that he kicked Naruto's ass and nearly killed Kiba."

Both boys turned to glare at the Uchiha, "Shut the hell up, Sasuke!" They both said in a unison, leaving the dark-haired male to appear unfazed as he shifted his gaze away from them in mocking innocence.

"I see." Kakashi's smile didn't falter. "Well, I'm sure we have Priestess Chakra upon our hands, if you were curious as to what that was."

"Priestess chakra?" Ino questioned, her eyes ablaze with curiosity. "How is that?"

The Namikaze clan general had folded his arms, humming slightly as he absently looked down to the floor. "It has been a long time since I saw something like that." He then closed his eye, recalling the memory. "There was a Priestess named Shion who had that type of chakra. Supposedly the last of her kind, she died several years ago and it was to be expected that chakra like that died with her."

"Well, how can a guy possess 'priestess' chakra?"

Silence fell upon them. Kakashi remaining in thought, "Well, for one, I could be wrong. Like I said, its been so long since I've seen something like that but that's something you don't particularly forget. Second, something I doubt, that it could be—"

"A woman parading as a male samurai?" Shikamaru finished, "I doubt that would go unnoticed by Orochimaru."

"I figured the same.." Seemingly lost in thought, Kakashi then rubbed his chin through his half-mask. "We won't know for sure until we see them display that power again in until the next fight. I expect all of you to be on your guard through the night and be ready in case Yamata troops are ready again"

The young adults bowed towards the general and watched him leave, still unsure about what happened earlier on in the day. "Do you think we should've told Kakashi about Sakura-hime?" Choji asked, "Maybe he could've helped."

"No," Naruto hurriedly said, "we're not sure if this person is Sakura-chan in the first place. We have to be careful remember? We can't put her in danger if she's the real deal."

A quick, force of wind had breezed past them, making them shield themselves as near the tent opening, TenTen stood. "Everyone's here?" She looked around, "Looks like it."

"Alright, TenTen are you sure this is Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, a bit too eager but overall scared of being disappointed.

The brunette nodded, "Pink hair and green eyes? Only Sakura-hime has those features, right?" TenTen rose a brow, Naruto looking torn between worry and relief. He wanted to believe it. He truly did but…

"Also it is uncommon, there might be a one in a million chance that this person just looks like her." Shikamaru closed his eyes in thought, "Did you speak with her?"

"Uh-huh. She told me she was, Sakura-hime." Naruto's eyes widened, lighting up at the possibly that this girl might actually be…

Shikamaru squinted his eyes skeptically, "Why would she just outright tell you?"

TenTen's face fell, the expression quite absent than it was minutes prior. "Well, she wanted me to save her because..." she murmured uneasily, "Sakura-hime is in a brothel."

Right then, the room was filled with gasps. Naruto's heart felt like it had shattered in pieces. A princess… in a brothel against her will. Naruto hated brothels, especially with the way women were forced there. And now Sakura, the girl he loves, was taken there against her will. "...But…" Biting down on his lip, he had to force the tears of frustration that were stinging his eyes to not fall.

"T-That's not possible! We were sure that Kirita would be there to protect her. Kirita would never allow Sakura to be in a brothel!" Ino's voice rose, angered at the situation as well.

Confused, the brunette kunoichi rose a brow. "Kirita? Who is that?"

"She's… She's not with Sakura?" The Yamanaka was more than surprise, in fact she was heartbroken. She didn't think for a second that Sakura was on her own, and now forced into a brothel.

TenTen shook her head rather solemnly, unsure of who Kirita was but obviously was someone of importance to Sakura. "She said that everyone was slaughtered."

Shaking with rage, the Uzumaki turned his head as his knuckles were turning white from how tightly he curled his hands into fists. Sasuke's expression was quite brooding as the blond looked like he was swimming with agony.

"I'm sorry for having to tell you the news like this…" TenTen apologized, "But the good thing is, is that we can get her out of there so she does not have to endure being in such a place."

Shikamaru's downcast face had glanced at TenTen, "It's not your fault. At least… we found her."

"Do you want me to watch her? To make sure she's okay until you're ready to retrieve her?" She inquired.

"Please." Ino spoke for Naruto seeing as he was still digesting all this information—this completely sour, heartbreaking information.

And like how she appeared, she left without a trace.

 **::**

All Sakura could manage to stare at were the stars above them as Kirita cleaned and dressed her minor wound. Even though Sakura said it was unnecessary for the girl to fret over it, Kirita forced her to sit down and receive treatment. "You only got a scratch, huh?" Kenji's voice broke the silence within the area Sakura sat. Her eyes peered over towards him as his back was also getting cleaned and dressed. He suffered from a rather mean slash, but he acted as if it was but a slight graze. Kenji was a tough guy, which eased Sakura's little worries about him.

"Yeah, it wasn't a big deal as Ichirou is making it out to be." Kirita's eyes flickered towards her quickly, her brows furrowing upon Sakura's words. Out of spite, she pulled the bandages tightly, causing the girl to let out a high-pitched yelp. "O-Oi*!"

"What? Can't deal with a scratch?" The mocking tone was enough to make the pink-haired girl pout, which made Kenji laugh.

Hajime's sauntered towards him, revealing how slew-footed he was with the way he walked, Still, he had an air about him that was quite authoritative. He was the more serious out of the three, despite him and Suigetsu having such a mischievously playful personalities. They could tell when Suigetsu was joking, but Hajime? Not so much.

"I see we suffered a few casualties, but most of us are just a bit beat." His lone-eye observed them, the corner of her lips were raised in a slight smile, which they gathered was because he was pleased.

His eye then looked towards Sakura, "You surprised everyone with that light show earlier."

"Light show?" It was as if she had completely forgotten what took place earlier. With a brow arched, she then recalled the incident with the arrow and then nodded. "Ah, yeah. Trust me, I didn't know what the heck happened."

He believed her. She did seem genuinely surprised, but he was more intrigued as to what that kind of power that was. "You should know, shouldn't you? After all, you did it."

"I really have no idea." She stated, "If I knew, I tried to do it again but… it didn't happen."

Kirita, now finished, had looked towards Hajime in mild curiosity. Did he believe her? Did he think she was lying? "I see. I'm glad something like that is on our side. I heard that mutt howling straight to the heavens."

Kenji sneered, "That's what he gets. He thought Daichi was some weak thing, and look what he got? His ass handed to him. And I saw you fighting that other guy too."

"Huh? You mean that weird, loud idiot?" Sakura questioned, Kenji shaking his head. "Yeah, he was so annoying. Almost to the point that I didn't even want to fight him anymore." Of course, she lied but she couldn't tell them that she showed their enemy mercy. That was treasonous.

The Yamata General snickered, "Shouldn't that give you more incentive to kill him? I never met anyone that was annoying enough that I let them go."

"I felt like he would haunt me, and I would never get rid of him." With a scoff, she looked down at her bandaged shoulder before glancing back to Hajime.

"That doesn't sound promising." He mused as Kija ran towards him, breathing heavily from the long run. "What is it, Kija?"

"Orochimaru-sama sent us a letter saying that we could incite trouble within Mihashi village. If we can get the villagers on our side then the war is..." Kija said within huffs, his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath.

Hajime pondered about the idea, closing his eyes as he did so with his arms akimbo. "If we do that then that would lower Oshino rations. They'll have to rely on their reinforcements to send food, which could take days and leaving them hungered and tired. Orochimaru-sama does have a point."

Sakura's eyes lowered, looking away at a random patch of grass. "Daichi, Ichirou, Kenji, and Kija. I want you all to take this mission." Sakura's expression completely shifted to shock.

"Uh, Hajime, I trust your judgement but… I… I don't know how to incite people. If you want me to rally people for Yamata, I'm not even the slightest bit of sure how to do that."

With a smirk, he shrugged his shoulders. "How will you ever learn if you never try? Besides, this isn't a sure-plus mission. This mission was not an order by Orochimaru-sama, but a suggestion. Even if you fail to incite them, whether we win this war or not is not based on this tactic." He thoroughly explained, "And, you have a way with people. You haven't been here long, but you've made friends. I'm sure you can do it, Daichi."

Sakura looked to Kirita, who was mindlessly cleaning her sword. That only meant that the decision was up to her and Kirita was not going to help her.. With a sigh, she nodded. "I suppose. I can try."

"Good. All of you will dress up as civilians. I'm sure you can pull that look off. You'll start in the afternoon after the morning battle." With a sharp turn, Hajime had left them. His steps becoming distant, which eased Sakura somewhat. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something could go horribly wrong.

"You alright, Daichi?" Kija's voice broke her concentration, her eyes flickering towards him. With a small smile, she gave a not-so confident, quick nod. "I could convince Hajime that someone else can do it for you, if you—"

"No, I'm fine, Kija." Although unsure, Kija watched as she went to her feet and rolled her right shoulder to ease the sore muscles. "Like he said, how can I learn if I never try?"

Walking towards the tent, Sakura had looked to Kirita to signal for her to follow. She wanted some help for the mission because she was unsure how these operations work, but Kirita was too distracted by Suigetsu. Both of them seemed to be in an intense stare off, which worried her.

"What are they doing?" She mumbled, observing them with watching the ire rise in Kirita's big, round yet slant eyes were staring at him as if they could set him fire on sight.

"I'm tired of waiting, Ichirou." His grin revealed his sharp teeth, which made him all the more menacing in Sakura's eyes. However, Kirita stood her ground with a look of indifference.

"I'm not wasting my energy." She retorted haughtily, cocking her head towards an arrogant angle as her eyes held a storm of defiance.

The princess wasn't sure if that only made Suigetsu more excited or if it actually angered him that Kirita acted as if Suigetsu wasn't of authority. "For a recruit, you sure lack respect. I don't like that, and I like to cut things I don't like."

"You will not provoke me, I refuse it." And with that, she spun on her heels and walked away from him as if he were just anybody. And Sakura could tell that the glint in his eyes was definitely a hint of animosity.,

Marching after Kirita, Sakura made sure to bob and weave her way through the crowd of recruits until she finally was able to clutch onto Kirita's wrist. Her lilac eyes glowered at her as if requesting space, but Sakura would not. "You can't treat Suigetsu like that, Kirita."

"He's annoying." You would think that since the Azai was older than her that she would be more mature, but Sakura guessed that even Kirita could have her immature moments.

"Trust me, I know but the last thing we want is him on our tails. That's why I was going to ask if we could dress like regular women when we go on the "incite the villagers" mission, that way we can get more information about the Shogun and other clans and what they are going to do against Orochimaru. Kenji and Kija won't recognize us and so we won't have to worry about them bothering us."

A few minutes of silence had fell upon them, Kirita in thought while Sakura remained eager to hear an answer. She thought the plan was good enough, but maybe there was something she was forgetting.

"What should we do if Kija doesn't want to separate? We'll have to have a meet up point as well." It made her feel relieved to know the plan was a good one, but she was missing that one minor detail. "Okay, well, we'll tell them we want to split up to cover more ground but we should all meet at the Teahouse.. The… village has a teahouse, right?"

"Most do, so we should be fine." Kirita said, nodding her head while patting atop of the pink-haired girl's head. "Good job, Daichi."

Sakura had to admit that she did like being praised. The smug look on her face was enough to make her feel more pumped about the mission.

 **::**

Kija and Ken agreed to the plan, feeling like they would cover more ground if they took North and West of Mihashi village while Kirita and Sakura took South and East. Sakura sighed out of relief, her hand over her chest as the two men walked away from them before becoming nothing more than mere dots in the distance. Kirita had scrounged up for their civilians clothes, giving Sakura her old traveler's outfit back.

The village was kind a bumbling place, booming with business and chatter. It was like the people were unaffected by the fact that war was near them. Sakura was amazed that these people were able to smile and carry on with business, knowing that miles ahead that another clan's arms could come raging through. "What's wrong, Sakura?" Kirita asked, "Remember, you're Mio and I'm Yui now."

"Ah, I know. I haven't forgotten the names." Sakura replied, adjusting her traveling pack as they walked alongside each other. "Alright, so, what kind of questions should I ask? Like, I don't want to see too suspicious."

"Well, first, we should ask about the Shogun's army. He sent reinforcements to Shinobu, and so they have to explain how long they've been allies to agree for them to help. Second-"

"Hello young ladies! Are any of you interested in some fish?" Sakura and Kirita turned to look at the old man, who was giving them a rather toothless smile.

"Ah, fish? Uh, sure!" Sakura looked for her koban* and gave him one gold piece. The man seemed delighted by her purchase.

"I'll give you extra for your kindness! Have a nice day!" With a net of fish, Sakura lifted them up to inspect them as they continued forward.

Kirita's expression was completely… deadpanned. "Why did you buy some fish?"

"Uh… Well, extra food doesn't hurt-Okay, I just felt I would feel guilty if I said no." Kirita's expression hadn't changed while Sakura gave a rather nervous smile.

"Anyway, I'll take the fish. I can probably use this to bribe some people. You cover the east and I'll cover south."

"Wait, we're separating?!" Sakura questioned desperately, "I thought we were sticking together."

"You're old enough to do things on your own." Frowning upon her words, she heard the girl sigh as Sakura's eyes looked towards the ground. "I won't always be here. You have to learn how to be a leader, and learning from the people is a good way to start."

Kirita had turned to leave, making Sakura feel completely lonely now. Here she was in a foreign village, in a foreign fief by her complete self. Looking around, she sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Alright. Kirita is right, I have to learn to do things on my own… Who should I question first? Maybe I should ease drop for a little bit."

It always felt like her feet were hesitant to move forward now that she was by herself. Her air of confidence had slowly dimmed and she had taken on a much more demure position. With her hands behind her, she looked around in what looked like to be a serious conversation.

She spied two people that seemed to be having an intense conversation. And, with stealth, she slowly inched her way towards him but stayed to the right of the walls. She kept her pace slow, her head tilted in their direction so that her ear could listen in. "I found a wart on my upper thigh. Is that serious?"

"Uh, yeah."

Her face scrunched up in disgust, a sigh escaping her. That was a serious conversation, more so personal to, and nothing that could help her. Walking faster so that the two men were out of her hearing range, her eyes scanned around for others.

"Do you think the Yamata forces will close in?" She heard one man say, which made her slow down her pace. "I'm scared. That Orochimaru guy is creepy."

"He's not leading the charge, his general is. I think if we just keep ourselves in our homes when they come, we'll be fine." Another man replied.

It wasn't valuable information, but at least it was on topic. And it also made her hope that others would speak on the Yamata and Oshino war as well as the Oshino reinforcements.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura's froze. The voice coming from behind her, she had slowly turned towards the owner of the voice and met a pair of onyx eyes. Her emerald eyes looked at him in curiosity and somewhat feeling intimidated by his hard stare. "Uh, just walking, sir. Why?"

"You've been walking awfully strange."

Was he… Was he watching her just then?

"Were you eavesdropping on the villagers?" He then asked, which made Sakura's throat feel dry.

"No, why would I? I live here." Sakura argued back, trying to look as genuine and less scared as possible.

He didn't seem too taken with her answer, but it looked like he didn't have enough argument to counter it. "Hn, go on about your business." And with that, he walked past her, leaving her to sigh of relief. She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, wondering something to herself. 'He seems… familiar That hairstyle kind of reminds me of… Sasuke-kun..."

Before she put two and two together, he was already gone. She couldn't chase after him, It was far too late now…

Somewhat defeated and agitated, she walked towards the river bank of the village and stood under a blooming, cherry tree. "Just my luck. Not only did I hear about some nasty wart on some guy, I saw Sasuke-kun and he got away…" Combing her fingers through her hair, she had released another tired sigh. "I can't give up though."

"I can't believe…"

Her whole body went stiff upon the sound of her name. Her eyes growing big and wide as she slowly turned around. It was the boy she met on the battlefield. He was without his armor and helmet, but his voice was clearly recognizable.

For the most part, Sakura was confused.

That boy she had met in the battlefield, the one she so ruthlessly kicked out of survival instincts and mercifully let go was standing there, right in front of her; right in front of Mio and not Daichi. She was almost afraid that he found out who she was. QUite frankly, her heart felt like it was go from frenzy beating and into an explosion, but what happened next had startled her.

He embraced her.

Those arms of his had encircled her form, pulling her close and letting her face rest against his shoulder, her emerald eyes peering over his shoulder and to the blue sky with scattered, cottonball clouds. Sakura couldn't marvel at the beauty of the warm, spring day. All she could do was hope that he couldn't hear just how fast her heart was beating and now it felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.

His arms held her tightly, bringing her shocked and absent mind into a halt—Why was he embracing her? If he didn't know she was Daichi then why was he—

"Sakura-chan..."

His raspy voice had made her blood run cold. The overall surprise that he knew who she was, a past of her that she was trying to hide had made her feel as if her whole objective... Her future was burning towards the ground. Even though fear was moving in place of shock, she couldn't help but wonder why he called her -chan? Did he know her? Did he know Sakura?

"I looked everywhere for you. I tried so hard to find you, and I... I let you down. I wasn't sure how I was going to face you, I shouldn't face you. I failed you..."

The only person who would say that. Whose shoulder would shake and tears would escape the eyes of his that she can't believe she didn't remember was.

"Naruto?"

Naruto hadn't let her go go despite the female calling his name. Slowly, Sakura's eyes glanced towards the brunette, who seemed puzzled as to what was going on. "You really did find her, TenTen."

"Uh, Naruto, that's _not_ Sakura-hime."

* * *

 **Dictionary** :

Oi - Hey

Koban - a Japanese oval gold coin in Edo period feudal Japan

 **Notes:**

I'm glad I can fill our NaruSaku needs, and I have been unfair not letting them see each other until the end of the fourth chapter. That's why I gave you a surprise though!

theIrishWriter - Tropes are good! Well, most of them are. I thinks its cute that they reunited in a unconventional, unromantic kind of way. I'll be explaining Kakashi's past soon since he's an important character to the story, especially for Kirita's arc. So, all of those answers will be answered soon.


End file.
